As they were drifting off to sleep, a couple in Hermantown, Minnesota (about 150 miles north of Minneapolis) was woken up by a loud explosion, and probably the house shaking, on Saturday night. Alarmed by the noise which they at first thought was caused by their furnace, they got up and grabbed a flashlight to check on the scene. What they saw was an airplane wheel at the foot of their bed.
A Cessna 172 crashed into their home late that night. Good news was that the couple, Jason and Crystal Hoffman, were miraculously unharmed. Their cat, who was able to escape and hide in the basement, also made it out safely.
The bad news is that the small plane’s three passengers died on the spot.
The victims were identified as 32-year-old Alyssa Schmidt from St. Paul, her brother, 31-year-old Matthew Schmidt from Burnsville, and the pilot, 32-year-old Tyler Fretland, also from Burnsville. The remnants of the plane were found in the backyard.
The crash caused a huge hole in the Hoffman’s roof and destroyed about half of the back part of their house. Live power lines outside the house were brought down by the plane.
The couple are from Worthington, Minnesota and lived in their home for seven years. The shocked Hoffmans said that they are heartbroken for the victims of the crash, but they also feel lucky to have gotten out alive.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the accident.
The plane missed the sleeping couple by inches. Their home is likely a total loss. Neighbors have been helping them out and gave them a place to stay.
