A Pompano Beach, Florida, homeowner, whose backyard was obliterated after a small plane crash in April, said Tuesday he is lucky the plane missed the house.
Robb Shannon's backyard was annihilated eight days ago when a single-engine plane tore through his property.
"We're so lucky it didn't hit our house," Shannon told NBC 6. "Our neighbor's house got hit and there's damage over there. So tough because it's really inconvenient for them."
Two men and a woman were on board the plane. All three survived the crash but suffered severe injuries with burns on 30-40 percent of their bodies, according to officials.
The plane was piloted by 40-year-old Geoffrey White and flight students Sylvia Mena, 23, and Fernando Diaz, 25, were also on board, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Cellphone video shows how fierce the flames were after the crash. Neighbors tried to put the fire out with hoses.
Shannon rushed home to find his backyard ruined and covered in soot. But his neighbor to the south got it much worse. The back-end of the house was torched; a pile of mangled metal that used to be furniture now sits in the backyard.
Local
"The plane clipped the wires and between the fire and damage to the electrical, they'll have to do a total remodel. So it might be weeks before they even have power reinstalled," Shannon said.
Contractors have been working nonstop to clean up the mess and repair fences. Crews even drained Shannon's pool to make sure there were no submerged plane parts.
The entire wreckage was removed and loaded onto tow trucks last week.
The FAA and NTSB are trying to figure out what caused the plane to come down, although a pilot flying behind the aircraft reported the engine stalled.
Despite all the damage, Shannon said he's not worried about it happening again.
"They say lightning only strikes once in the same place so, the plane is out of the way. It's time to put everything back together and it'll be better than before," he said.
Florida Aviation Academy owns the plane. Shannon said the company's insurance, AIG, had been quick to respond.
