Police declare 3 dead after plane crashes into Nampa neighborhood
Officials declared three people dead after a plane crashed in a residential neighborhood near the Nampa airport on Sunday night.
The Nampa Police Department said officers responded to several 911 calls about the crash at 5:41 p.m. and located it one block west of the Nampa Municipal Airport in the 200 block of North Venice Street.
None of the three people on board survived, police said. Nampa Police spokesperson Carmen Boeger told the Idaho Statesman that two people died at the scene and a third died at a hospital.
Officials said the victims’ names would not be released until after family had been notified.
The plane crashed almost immediately after takeoff, striking an unoccupied outbuilding less than two miles from the airport, according to police and flight tracker FlightAware.
No one on the ground was injured, according to police.
Leno Garcia, who lives near the crash site, told the Idaho Statseman that he and his granddaughters were watching TV when they heard a loud bang and rushed outside. Within minutes, a crowd had gathered.
“When the police came, they told the people they had to get out of here because it might explode,” Garcia said. “Some guys tried to open the plane to help the guys out, but they couldn’t open the door.”
Tyler Barnhard rents the backyard where the plane landed and his family lives in the home located just feet from the crash site. Barnhard’s son was inside the home when the crash happened.
Barnhard said his family “got no sleep whatsoever” Sunday night after the shock accident, but is “grateful” the plane crashed into his shed instead of the house.
“I do feel like it’s a freak accident,” Barnhard said. “The pilot did a really good job in turning into the building. He avoided the house. There were several obstacles. You’ve got the tree, the powerline and the top of the house.”
The aircraft was a 1984 fixed-wing single-engine Mooney M20J registered to Sleepytime PLLC in Eagle, according to a Federal Aviation Administration report.
Nampa police said Federal Aviation Administration personnel were at the crash site on Sunday and National Transportation Safety Board personnel planned to arrive Monday to investigate.
“My heart grieves for those who tragically lost their life,” Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their extended family during this difficult time.”
Darin Oswald contributed.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 8:51 AM.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correctly identify the name under which the airplane was registered as Sleepytime PLLC.
