Wesley Chapel plane crash: Officials identify pilot killed when plane slammed into neighborhood

Pilot identified in fatal Pasco County plane crash

The pilot killed Sunday morning when his plane crashed in a Wesley Chapel neighborhood has been identified. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - The pilot killed Sunday morning when his plane crashed in a Wesley Chapel neighborhood has been identified.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Bailey, 59, was confirmed to be the pilot and the only person onboard the Cessna 401B airplane.

What we know:

The crash happened Sunday morning on Aldus Drive in the Grand Oaks subdivision.

The FAA reported the plane took off from Tampa North Aero Park which is a small airfield between Wesley Chapel Blvd and I-75. 

Courtesy: Pasco County Fire Rescue

One home was damaged in the crash, but nobody on the ground was injured, according to officials.

One neighbor said the plane crashed between three homes.

'The pilot is a hero'

What they're saying:

"My kids were in the backyard jumping on their trampoline. They saw a low-flying plane," said Christina Galbiati, a neighbor who witnessed the crash. "I was in the front yard drinking coffee, and I saw the plane come around and thought it was very, very low, but everything looked mechanically fine. I saw the propellers spinning, no fire or anything."

"I think that the pilot is a hero. He knew that it was going down, and he found a perfect spot to land," Galbiati shared. "So he went straight in between houses, which I imagine is a pretty hard thing to do."

"He landed right in between those two unfenced yards," she added. "It takes seconds to make that decision."

"We're blessed we were spared," said Angela Smith, whose home was just feet away from the fiery crash. "It doesn't have me wanting to move because we've been living here since 2002. We've had this happen a few times in this neighborhood, but we're hoping and praying nothing else happens."

Pattern of plane crashes

Dig deeper:

Neighbors said this was a part of a pattern. FOX 13 reported on a plane crash in the area in 2020.

"This is our fourth crash in this neighborhood after about a few years," Barrett said.

What we don't know:

It is unclear what caused the plane to crash.

A spokesperson for the NTSB says the preliminary information they have is the plane crashed under unknown circumstances.

What's next:

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

NTSB investigators were at the site Monday collecting debris for evidence as well as interviewing witnesses. 

They'll also review the plane's maintenance logs and collect any surveillance video to determine what may have caused the crash.

A preliminary report of the crash will be available within 30 days. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected between one to two years.