A plane crash in Henderson County claimed a pilot’s life after engine troubles, sparking an FAA investigation in the tight-knit Aero Estates community.
FRANKSTON, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed one man died in a small plane crash in Henderson County Tuesday morning.
DPS said emergency officials were called around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday to the Aero Estates subdivision in Frankston. Officials say a Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker aircraft crashed near a private airstrip inside the neighborhood.
Neighbors say Aero Estates is a close-knit aviation community where many residents share a passion for flying and own aircraft.
Lucas Wagenaar, president of the Aero Estates Property Owners Association and airport manager, told CBS19 the pilot had recently been working on the aircraft and decided to take it out for an early morning flight because “the air is calm and it’s easy to fly.”
Wagenaar said neighbors who witnessed the moments before the crash told him the pilot made several passes before appearing to experience engine trouble shortly after takeoff.
“I think he must have had a little bit of engine trouble, because he made what we call in the pilots, the impossible turn,” Wagenaar said. “The impossible turn is when you’re very low, you take off and you lose power, and it’s very difficult to make it back.”
According to Wagenaar, the aircraft came over the trees but “did not have enough altitude to make a proper landing” before crashing.
Neighbors described the pilot as a respected member of the community who was known for always helping others.
“He was a great man. We’re going to sorely miss him,” Wagenaar said. “Anytime I needed something, I would call [the pilot] and he was always willing to help.”
Wagenaar said the pilot was heavily involved in maintaining the private airstrip and neighborhood infrastructure and had a deep love for aviation.
“He loved aviation,” Wagenaar said. “This was his first flight in this airplane.”
Wagenaar also said the pilot and his family had recently become more involved in church and faith.
“Last Sunday morning we were sitting together in the pew,” Wagenaar said. “He gave his life to the Lord.”
Investigators say it is still too early to determine what caused the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is leading the investigation into how the aircraft went down.
Photos shared with CBS19 by a nearby resident show the aircraft involved in Tuesday morning’s deadly crash flying over the Berryville area shortly before it went down near the Aero Estates private airstrip.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash.
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