The plane was being flown by Lloyd Mckee, 66, and Maureen McKee, 63, a husband and wife from Aero Estates. Aero Estates is a suburb where homes can actually have small planes parked next to their homes. Planes take off and land from the area all the time, residents of Naperville told the media, and many of them fly too low.
The plane was a Piper 32. It crashed into the roof of the health club located as 75th Street and Beebe Drive right around lunch time. The plane had just taken off from Aero Estates on its way to Pittsburgh. The plane collided with the top of the health club and protruded through the roof into the club’s basketball court. There was no on in the basketball court at the time.
A loud crash and then leaking gasoline
There were about 280 people inside the building when the plane collided. Witnesses reported hearing a tremendous crash or something that sounded almost like an explosion. One employee of the health club ran upstairs to see the roof of the basketball court caved in and a clear fluid leaking onto the floor. When it was discovered that the fluid was gasoline, the building was evacuated.
According to some who witnessed the event the plane seemed to be flying normally, just extremely low. The exact reasons for the crash are still unknown. Those who knew the McKee’s say that Lloyd was an experienced pilot. The couple was taken to Edward Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Reports said that they appeared to be suffering from broken bones.
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