A Kentucky surgeon and his wife died after the plane he was flying crashed into a bank parking lot in a Chicago suburb Wednesday evening.
The pilot, Dr. Narayan Venguswamy, who served at Georgetown Community Hospital for 27 years, died Thursday morning at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he had been treated for severe burns from the crash, CBS Chicago reported. His wife died in the crash.
“The members of the Georgetown Community Hospital family are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Dr. Narayan Vengu and his wife, Jay,” the hospital said in a statement. “Dr. Vengu was well-respected and beloved, particularly by his staff, his patients, and his colleagues. Our heartfelt thoughts, prayers, and support are with the Vengu family during this very difficult time.”
According to CBS Chicago, the Cirrus SR-22 single-engine airplane crashed while going in for a landing at Clow Airport. The aircraft clipped a tree and a light pole and then crashed into at least two vehicles parked at a Chase Bank, police told reporters.
Witnesses said the pilot was engulfed in flames when he got out of the plane.
“He was actually walking on fire and he kind of fell down to the ground,” Mike Grohar told CBS.
Police said the plane took off from Scott County Marshall Field in Georgetown, Ky., around 3:08 p.m. Chicago time. There were no reports of injuries to people on the ground and no one else was in the plane when it crashed, CBS reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, the report said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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