A PLANE which crashed into a Milan building killing all eight on board was piloted by billionaire, it was reported.

       Dan Petrescu, 68, his wife and son died when the single engine plane plummeted into a subway station in San Donato Milanese.

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       Thick smoke billowing from where the plane smashed into the building Credit: EPA 9

       Romanian billionaire Dan Petrescu has been named as the pilot of the crash Credit: EPA 9

       Dan Petrescu along with his wife and son died in the crash Credit: Splash 9

       Smoke rising in the moments after the crash Credit: EPA

       The Romanian billionaire had been travelling with his son Dan Stefan Petrescu, 30, his wife Regina Petrescu, 65, and family friends according to Awsforwp.

       Filippo Nascimbene, his wife Claire Alexandrescou, their one-year-old son Rafael, and her mother Miruna Anca Wanda Lozinschi, were all also killed in the tragedy, Rainews.it reports.

       Nascimbene was an Italian-born businessman and his wife and mother were French.

       Also on the plane was his son's Canadian friend 36-year-old Julien Brossard.

       Mrs Petrescu was also a dual-national and held a French passport, while her son had been working in Canada.

       Their plane was on its way to the island of Sardinia to visit Mr Petrescu's 98-year-old mother at the family villa.

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       Petrescu was one of Romania's richest men and also held Germany nationality,

       He headed a major construction firm and owned a string of hypermarkets and malls Italian media have reported.

       According to the Romanian newspaper Adevarul, Petrescu was a worth 3 billion euros.

       Firefighters rushed to the scene but the pilot and passengers - who included a boy - died at the scene.

       Witnesses have recalled the moment the plane plummeted out of the sky and smashed into the building, which was thankfully empty .

       One named as Andrea, 19, told tgcom.24.: "I saw the plane lose control. I saw it just as it crashed. I saw it dive.

       "The plane was low. And then there was a lot of smoke, flames in the sky. Pieces were flying. I was very scared."

       Emergency workers said several cars in a nearby parking lot were set ablaze, but apparently the vehicles were unoccupied at the time.

       The Pilatus PC-12 single engine plane took off from the main runway at Linate airport at 1.04pm local time but crashed 11 minutes later.

       It performed a right hand turn that would have taken it on its route to Olbia in Sardinia but instead of heading south it went towards San Donato.

       "The plane hit the building on the facade, with an extremely violent impact," said Carlo Cardinali from Milan fire brigade.

       “The pilot made a turn, so he noticed some anomaly.”

       A thick column of dark smoke rose from the crash site and was visible for miles around the site

       Firefighters were extinguishing the flames of the now-charred building, which reportedly was under renovation.

       The plane's black box has been recovered and prosecutors have opened an investigation.

       Speaking at the scene, Milan prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano, said "there does not appear to have been an alarm launched from board".

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       Crash victim Claire Alexandrescou died with her husband, son and mother Credit: Facebook 9

       The crash happened just after 1pm local time Credit: AP 9

       A piece of the aircraft lying on the ground Credit: AP 9

       Firefighters tackling the blaze after the crash Credit: EPA 9

       The crash happened in a suburb of the Italian city Credit: EPA

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