911 Calls from fatal plane crash released

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The 911 calls from the South Bend plane crash in March have been released. The dispatch center was swamped with calls after the plane circled the airport, then crashed into three homes on Iowa Street killing two people on board the plane.

Dispatchers started receiving calls around 4:20 on Sunday March 17th about a plane flying over the South Bend Regional Airport that looked like it was having mechanical problems.

DISPATCHER: "South Bend 911."
CALLER: "Yeah, I'm sitting here by the airport, I was on the bypass, I seen a plane start to come in for a landing."
DISPATCHER: "Yes."
CALLER: "His front wheel come down the back wheel didn't come down he pulled back up."
DISPATCHER: "Yes they are already on the way out there Sir.

DISPATCHER: "911."
CALLER: "A plane just landed on Ryer Street by the airport."
DISPATCHER: "On Ryer? (TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE) They are on Ryer Street."
CALLER: "On Ryer, Ryer by the...
DISPATCHER: "Ok."
CALLER: "By the airport."
DISPATCHER: "Ok, we are on our way out there." 

The aircraft, a Beechcraft Premier One actually crashed on Iowa Street.

It clipped the top of one house, heavily damaged a second, and finally came to rest inside a third.

DISPATCHER: "South Bend 911."
CALLER: "There's like an explosion."
DISPATCHER: "Where at?"
CALLER: "On Iowa."
DISPATCHER: "Ok, did you see what it was?"
CALLER: "Yeah, the fire department just came."

DISPATCHER: "South Bend 911."
CALLER: "Yeah, we've got a, I think the fire department is coming already, Iowa Street- house blew up."
DISPATCHER: "A house..."
CALLER: "Everything is gone."
DISPATCHER: "What do you mean it blew up?"
CALLER: "It blew up- just like that. The whole thing is gone except for the front door- the front, front wall, the whole back of it blew up. The whole thing is gone!"

Two people aboard the plane died and the two other passengers were severely injured.

A fifth person was injured on the ground and hospitalized for several days.