One person dead after small plane crashes on top of building in Auburn

AUBURN, Wash. — A deadly plane crash happened just after noon Thursday in Auburn.

The small plane slammed into a business – all but the plane’s tail going through the roof.

“All of a sudden, the walls shook and there’s a big bang and alarms went off,” said T.J. Stuefen, a witness.

Stuefen was one of only two employees inside the building.

“Couldn’t even open the door – all the debris had pushed up against the door. We tried to open the door because we thought there was a third person here, but luckily he’s gone, and as soon as we did that, there was a big smell of gas, and we figured we better get the hell out of here,” said Stuefen.

The employees safely escaped.

Investigators say the pilot was the only one on board the Van’s RV-12, a type of homebuilt plane.

“They brought him out. They just had him on a stretcher – they weren’t working on him. He unfortunately didn’t make it – sad,” said Stuefen.

There was no fire, but emergency crews worked quickly to take care of fuel leaking from the plane.

Norgren GT Development, which helps make big rig parts, operated out of the building, which Stuefen says was getting cleared out because the business is moving out of the area. That’s why there were only a couple of people inside.

Asked if he felt lucky to safely get out, Stuefen replied, “Oh, absolutely. It was 40 feet from my office and I just had walked through there.”

No word on the pilot’s identity or what led up to the crash.

It’s unclear where he took off from or his destination, but the Auburn Municipal Airport is nearby.

It’s also uncertain when the plane will be removed from the building.

The FAA and NTSB are now investigating.

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