Plane Hits Trees, Crashes Along The Merrimack River In Bedford

BEDFORD, NH — Manchester Fire and AMR Ambulance were dispatched to a reported plane that had crashed into the Merrimack River on Friday near Olmstead Avenue.

As crews arrived they could see a large amount of fire in the woods on the West side of the river in Bedford. Bedford fire, police, and New Hampshire State Police responded to the area of Technology Drive and Reed Drive. Upon arrival, they could see the glow from the fire located in the woods and began to access it.

A resident on Reed Drive told Patch that he heard the plane coming in lower than they normally do and then said the engine sounded like it stopped. He looked out his window and could see the woods on fire behind the Reed Drive residence.

Fire crews stretched hose lines from Technology Drive and crews from Manchester and Bedford attempted to make access by boat on the Merrimack River. Firefighters also attempted to put oil-absorbing booms in the river to stop the jet fuel from spreading.

A wooded area about 500 square feet was burning and some trees were completely engulfed in flames. The strong smell of jet fuel was throughout a large area of the woods.

Over the steep embankment pieces of an aircraft that is reported to be a twin-turboprop aircraft were scattered on the embankment and in the river. Troopers from NHSP and officers from Bedford police walked closer to the scene and quickly determined it was not possible that there were any survivors.

Several social media posts stated there were five people on board, but that was incorrect. The control tower told responders that the plane that they believed crashed “had the capacity to carry one to five souls on board.” It is common terminology to refer to people on planes as “souls.”

Fire crews and other responders were advised that there were no more than two souls on board, and it was possibly just one according to the chatter between the tower and ground crews.

A short time after the fire was extinguished a radio broadcast advised the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board had been notified as well as the medical examiner.

Firefighters knocked down the visible fire within about 45 minutes of the initial call that came in at 11:35 p.m.

According to Flightradar24 an online aircraft tracker a flight was inbound from Essex County airport and had left New Jersey at 10:50 p.m. The flight is operated by Castle Aviation which is based at Akron-Canton Airport in North Canton, Ohio.

An aircraft matching a tail number to that flight was broadcast over the radio as the possible aircraft. Officials have not verified this is the plane, but very few flights were scheduled at the time of the crash.

WMUR reported, "A Swearingen SA-226 operated by Castle Aviation left an airport in Sussex County, New Jersey just before 11 p.m. when the pilot reported there was engine trouble, according to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Director Ted Kitchens."

No residences or structures were struck in the incident according to Bedford Police Chief John Bryfonski.

The scene was secured by personnel from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Bedford Police, and New Hampshire State Police.

Bryfonski said in a press release early Saturday morning federal authorities are expected to investigate the crash, and any additional information will be released by the investigating federal agencies.

Bedford NH Patch is continuing to update as information becomes available from official sources.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news