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A small plane with three people on board crashed near the McKinney National Airport Thursday morning, killing two people on board and injuring a third, officials say.
City officials told NBC 5 that the aircraft departed McKinney National at 10:22 a.m. and appeared to crash moments later near County Road 317, southeast of the airport.
Video from Texas Sky Ranger showed the broken plane upside down in a large mound of what appears to be rocky fill dirt with pieces of the aircraft scattered over the pile.
The FAA confirmed to NBC 5 Thursday morning that three people were on board.
NBC 5 News
The Texas DPS said early Thursday afternoon that two of those people had died and a third was injured. Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas confirmed to NBC 5 that they received one patient from the crash who was in critical condition.
Further details about the pilot and passengers have not yet been confirmed.
A person who said he was working near the site and witnessed the crash shared a video with NBC 5 showing work crews rushing toward the crashed plane and using a water truck to try to put out the flames.
According to FAA records, the plane is a 1980 twin-engine Cessna 414A owned by a hunger relief organization in Forney. It came down about 3,500 feet southeast of the north-south runway on land used by a company that provides fill dirt and concrete recycling.
Police said the investigation into the crash is in the preliminary stages and will eventually be transferred to federal agencies. The cause of the crash has not been confirmed.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that an investigator has been sent to the scene of the crash.
“Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft,” the NTSB said in a statement. “The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.”
According to the NTSB, the investigation will involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. During the investigation, NTSB officials said they will gather the following information and records:
- Flight track data
- Recordings of any air traffic control communications
- Aircraft maintenance records
- Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
- Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
- 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight
- Witness statements
- Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
- Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras
Anyone who witnessed the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.