One person dead, second person injured in Gainesville plane crash

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Police confirmed Thursday afternoon that a morning plane crash killed one person and injured another on a street near the airport.<br /> <br /> Gainesville Police Corporal Joe Britte said the initial call came around 11:30 a.m. regarding the report of a crash on Palmour Drive near Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport.<br /> <br /> "The plane crash actually occurred in the street and we have power lines down at this time. It (the plane) never reached the runway," Cpl. Joe Britte said shortly after the crash.<br /> <br /> The plane was a Commander 114, according to Britte. However, Fire Captain Keith Smith reported there was no identification on the plane.<br /> <br /> He said a second person on the plane suffered injuries and was flown to Grady Hospital in Atlanta.<br /> <br /> Police Corporal Kevin Holbrook said a sanitation worker nearby pulled that survivor from the wreckage, but the fire prevented him from rescuing the second. Holbrook said the survivor had serious to critical injuries.<br /> <br /> Authorities don't know if the plane hit on its wheels or upside-down, or whether or not the wind played a factor.<br /> <br /> "I couldn't even speculate as to the cause (of the crash) at this time," said Britte.<br /> <br /> One eye-witness, who lives in Gainesville and asked not to be identified, said she watched the plane go down.<br /> <br /> "I just saw it start (moving) side-to-side, and then the next thing I know I see a big ball of smoke," she said.<br /> <br /> "I was saying to myself 'Oh my God, it just crashed!' and I came up (to the airport), and I saw it."<br /> <br /> The plane was returning to the airport shortly after departure when the trouble began.<br /> <br /> "They radioed in an emergency stating that they had engine trouble possible full engine failure. Then again as they were coming back in to the airport they struck power lines," Gainesville police Corporal Kevin Holbrook said. <br /> <br /> Smith said that a Red Oak Sanitation worker witnessed the accident and rescued one of the occupants on the plane. "That occupant had second and third degree burns to his face and torso," said Smith. "He was transported via air ambulance to Grady Hospital where at last report, he is in stable condition."<br /> <br /> The FAA is investigating, according to spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen. She said the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause.<br /> <br /> A portion of the road, from Scott Street to Ruby Street will be closed overnight, according to Smith. <br /> <br /> <i>Associated Press contributed to this story.<i>