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Small plane crashes into Covington, WA home

10:31 PM PDT on Friday, May 9, 2008

KING5.com Staff

Video: Small plane crashes into woman's house
Larger screen

COVINGTON, Wash. – The pilot of a single-engine plane is dead after crashing into a house Friday afternoon.

It happened at 4:49 p.m. in the 30400 block of 180th Avenue SE, just east of Crest Air Park, a rural airfield.

Kent Fire Department spokesman Kyle Ohashi says the plane had just taken off when the plane then suddenly crashed into the home.

Witnesses said the plane experienced sudden engine failure.

"Any time you lose an engine at that low of an altitude, you are in trouble," said Kirk Skaggs, pilot and witness.

"He got about 300-400 feet up and the engine stopped," said neighbor and fellow pilot Keith Craine. "The airplane turned upside down as it was trying to make a return trip to the runway, which is somewhat of a bad maneuver to do. He went upside down and straight down into the house."

Rosemary Devino was sitting in her chair watching TV when the plane crashed into her house killing the pilot

"I thought maybe it was a bomb," she said. "The airplane was immediately on fire and I was concerned that the house was going to burn."

She was not hurt.

"She's in a little bit of shock, as you can imagine, from something like this happening," said Ohashi.

The plane caught fire, but it did not spread to the home. Part of the home is badly damaged.

The pilot was the only person on board. His name was not immediately released, but friends said he lived at the air park and loved to fly.

It's not clear what caused the crash.

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