Private Plane Crashes Into Michigan Self-Storage Facility

A private plane crashed into a self-storage facility in Lowell, Michigan yesterday, killing both men onboard. According to the Kent County Sheriff's Office pilot Kevin Lawrence, 62, of Presque Isle, Mich., and passenger Paul Schalk, 68, of Rogers City, Mich. were flying through the Grand Rapids area in a small Vans Aircraft RV-14 when their plane went down near Vergennes Street and Lincoln Lake Avenue SE. It crashed into the Whistle Stop Self Storage, about a half-mile from the Lowell City Airport, at 4:30 p.m.

Sharon Vanamburgh, who lives across the street from the facility and stores belongings in one of the units, heard the boom and saw smoke coming from the roof of the facility when it went up in flames. She quickly learned that her unit was one that had been destroyed. Although she lost everything in the unit, he concern is for the two men who were killed. 

"God bless them and I am so sorry that happened," Vanamburgh said.

Lowell Fire Chief Cory Velzen told local news teams that 13 different area fire departments assisted in putting out the fire, an incident that he called a "complicated situation."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to investigate the crash Wednesday.