Small plane crashes into house in central Indiana

Smoke rises from a house in Columbus, Ind., after a small plane crashed into the home injuring two people who were on the plane. A woman who lives in the house and was home at the time of the crash was not injured.

COLUMBUS, Ind.  — A small plane crashed into a house in central Indiana city early today, igniting a fire and injuring two people who were on the plane, authorities said.

A woman who lived in the house told Indianapolis television stations that she was home alone when the crash happened and wasn’t hurt.

The crash happened around 9:30 a.m. about a mile from the airport in Columbus, a city about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Indiana State Police Sgt. Noel Houze said.

Neighbor Marion Clavin told WTHR-TV that he was inside his house when he heard two booms. When he went outside, he saw one person who got out of the plane.

“He was bleeding and he was on fire. I told him ‘Roll on the grass, roll on the grass!’” Clavin said.

The man told him the pilot had already gotten out of the plane, Clavin said.

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known.

Bartholomew County 911 director Ed Reuter said two people on the plane were injured and at least one of them was being transferred to an Indianapolis hospital. He didn’t know details about their injuries.

Much of the one-story house was destroyed and little or no plane wreckage was visible from television helicopter video after the fire was extinguished. No other houses appeared to be damaged.

The resulting fire sent a smoke plume over the city on a clear day.