A small airplane came crashing down in a Texas intersection on Wednesday, leaving four people injured and residents in shock. The dramatic incident unfolded in Victoria, a town about 130 miles southwest of Houston, around 3 p.m.
The twin-engine propeller plane, a Piper PA-31, was being flown by a lone pilot when it hit three cars at the intersection. Photos from the scene showed the plane split in half, surrounded by scattered debris. Thankfully, no lives were lost.
Victoria Police Chief Elaine Moya spoke about the unusual event, saying, “This is not something we see every day, but we are glad that people seem to be okay.”
Three of the injured suffered minor injuries, while one person was taken to a hospital outside of Victoria for further care. The pilot, who hasn’t been named yet, was conscious and checked out at the scene.
Witnesses described the terrifying moment the plane went down. Tony Poynor, who was driving nearby, recalled seeing the shadow of the aircraft. “It passed over the top of my truck. It was still horizontal, but about a quarter of a mile ahead, it started to wobble,” he told reporters.
Before the crash, the plane had been flying near Victoria Regional Airport for several hours, taking off at 9:52 a.m. and circling the area. Something clearly went wrong during its final moments in the air, but what caused the crash is still under investigation.
Both the FAA and the NTSB are looking into the accident. Meanwhile, the intersection near a local high school remains closed as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the crash.
