Chilling moments just before a plane crashed outside Lansing, Mich. Thursday evening were captured on audio, according to TMZ.
A twin-engine jet took off from Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field, only to crash around 5 p.m. local time, killing all three people on board, FOX17 reported. In audio obtained by TMZ, the pilot and tower were heard communicating before the jet began to fall.
“Stall, recovery! Stall, recovery!” the pilot yelled to the air traffic controller as he fought to maintain control of the jet.
“What is your altitude? … Do you read?” the air traffic controller asked, before realizing the pilot was then gone.
In response to the incident, the air traffic controller radioed other planes in the area to watch for black smoke rising from the ground.
Video footage and photos shared online showed the plane falling from the sky, followed by a cloud of black smoke from the crash site.
WATCH:
A Hawker 800XP, XA-JMR, stalled and impacted terrain near Bath, Michigan, USA. The three occupants perished.
The aircraft was on a post-maintenance test flight.pic.twitter.com/ujhLLDl4HaShould stricter regulations for test flights be implemented after the recent plane crash in Michigan?— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) October 17, 2025
Kellogg Field’s Aviation Director Phil Kroll reportedly told FOX17 that the plane had previously landed at the airport for maintenance. While specifics on the work performed were not released, Kroll said the jet was conducting a test flight before the crash.
“They were just testing out some systems, and that’s when the problem occurred,” Kroll told the outlet.
Duncan Aviation, which performed maintenance on the jet, told FOX17 that those on board were two customer pilots and a maintenance representative, noting that none were Duncan employees.
“Right now, our focus is on supporting the families and friends of the crew, our team members who worked on the aircraft and developed close relationships with the aircraft’s representatives, and anyone else touched by the tragic event,” Duncan Aviation President Mike Minchow told the station.
With the cause of the crash still unknown, Bath Township Police are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate, according to FOX17.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Image/Matti Blume)
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