August 2nd ─ a pilot and his passenger are in critical condition following a crash of a small single-engine plane in north Phoenix after departing from nearby Deer Valley Airport. The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. shortly after take-off when the pilot reported mechanical problems of the single-engine Grumman AA-1. The pilot then indicated to air traffic controllers that he would try to return to the airport, but the plane crashed about a half-mile from the runway where it went through a fence and became lodged in a tree alongside 19th Avenue, a road leading to the airport. Pieces of the plane were scattered across 19th Avenue. The 2 men were extricated from the wreckage and taken by ambulance to John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital where they are listed in critical condition according to hospital staff.
Eyewitnesses described their shock as the scene unfolded, "We were talking about how low it was, and then it just started to wobble," said witness Taylor McCullough. "It just went straight down. Our first instinct was to just pull over and get out and see if everybody was OK".
"The plane went down," said another witness. "I'm still shaking”.
The crash is under investigation according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.
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