Pilot Killed, Passenger Injured In Small Plane Crash In Texas
PEARLAND, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A pilot died and a passenger was injured after a small plane crashed after touching down on the runway at a Texas airport, officials said.
The plane crashed Saturday afternoon just after landing at Pearland Regional Airport, said Sgt. Richard Standifer of the Texas Department of Public Safety. He said a malfunction, possibly with the landing gear, caused the plane to go off the runway and into a ditch between runways, where it struck an embankment.
"There was severe damage to the front of the fuselage," Standifer said.
He said that two people were aboard. The pilot, later identified as 58-year-old Marcus Granger, died at the scene. The 38-year-old female passenger was able to walk away from the crash and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
The two had taken off from Alvin, located about 10 miles south of Pearland, Standifer said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the plane was a single-engine PZL-104 Wilga.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)