Greenville, SC - Two have died in the crash of a mid-sized jet landing this afternoon at the Greenville Downtown Airport — splitting the plane in two and causing a fuel leak that has prompted authorities to warn of contamination of nearby streams.
Greenville County Deputy Coroner Jeff Fowler said his office is investigating two deaths, one at the scene and another at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Three people involved in the crash had been transported to the hospital, spokeswoman Sandra Dees said.
The crash, involving a Dassault Falcon 50 model that can be to seat between nine and 19 passengers, is the worst in 20 years at the airport, the airport's director said.
Roads near the airport will be closed for some time, Police Chief Ken Miller said.
Sam Grice, a flight instructor at the airport who just finished landing from an earlier flight before the crash, said he saw the plane landing, but then looked away and didn't realize it had crashed.
"I feel like it flared, and he just kind of floated a little bit," Grice said. "All the sudden, right before I walked inside, people were like, 'That jet just ran off the runway.'"
