SALT LAKE CITY — An actual piece of an airplane fell out of the sky and landed in Las Vegas, according to multiple news reports.
KTNV Las Vegas and KVVU-TV report that the airplane part fell right outside the Nellis Air Force Base in northeast Las Vegas, landing in a residential area.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the door or panel fell from the plane and crashed to the ground, according to KTNV.
"We are looking into a report that a door or a panel fell off an aircraft near Nellis AFB," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, according to ABC News.
Photos of the door leaked online:
Airplane door falls into Las Vegas neighborhood, hits apartment and car https://t.co/2yUvoVUl3C pic.twitter.com/qcJjWvKURZ
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) June 7, 2019
As if there isn’t enough to worry about on the ground now I have to worry about stuff falling from the sky! https://t.co/4JiUVmq7LR
— Carlos Granda (@abc7carlos) June 7, 2019
The piece came off of a Draken aircraft, which comes from a company that provides airplanes to the military for training purposes.
- "An access panel fell off a Draken aircraft (Thursday) afternoon shortly after departing Nellis (Air Force Base) on a routine training mission," said Scott Poteet, a spokesperson for Draken International, according to USA Today. "Draken, along with the FAA, are conducting a thorough investigation to identify the cause."
Witness Anthony Pitts told KTNV he heard the piece slap against the ground.
- “I heard a smack,” he said. “And it smacked over here. And when it hit it was loud. And the first thing I did was run in the house … I was scared. I thought it was a shooting. That's how loud it was."
- "One of my kids could have been walking out here and that thing would have hit him,” Pitts said. “It’s not going to be a concussion. Not going to be oh no, I’m hurt honey go to the hospital. They would be dead!”
Pitts told KVVU-TV that the piece of metal fell near where his children play. Another witness, Alex Lopez, described the neighborhood’s reaction to KTNV.
- "I thought the world was ending or something,” said Alex Lopez, according to KTNV. “And then I came outside and saw my neighbors all staring at something."