In what has to be the most ironic crashes ever, a PA-25 Pawnee crashed through the roof of a home in Northglenn, Colorado on Monday afternoon, starting a fire in the home. It's ironic because 1. He was towing a GEICO Insurance banner and 2. He used to live there.
The pilot attempted to put out the fire according to 9 News Denver, and was able to walk away from the scene after being treated and released by paramedics. No one was in the home during the crash.
Witnesses to the incident say the PA-25 Pawnee owned by Drag'nFly Banners was towing a banner for GEICO Insurance. They said the pilot released the banner before the crash, blocks away. Pawnees are also used for glider towing crop dusting, and served as the model for "Dusty Crophopper" in the Disney animated feature "Planes." Tom Mace of Drag'nFly banners said the company had just purchased the PA-25 and it recently had its annual inspection.
As if the crash of a banner plane that had been towing an insurance ad into a residence isn't strange enough, property records show that the pilot, Brian Veatch, used to own the home he crashed into! Veatch claims he didn't realize it was his former home until after the crash. What are the odds of that happening completely by chance? This seems pretty suspicious, so I'll post an update if anything else evolves from the story.
Sources: 9 News / ABC 7
Top image by @9News on Twitter