1 Dead After Plane Crashes Near N. Texas High School
CARROLLTON (CBSDFW.COM) - One person was killed in a plane crash near Hebron High School in Carrollton Monday morning.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Tony Molinaro, the Cirrus SR 22 aircraft had just taken off from the Addison Airport when the pilot reported engine trouble.
The pilot contacted the air traffic control tower, saying he needed to return. The pilot made one unsuccessful attempt to land the plane, which crashed just after 11:30 a.m. on second approach. The flight crashed down in the 4200 block of Plano Parkway, 50 yards from the freshman wing of Hebron High School. Nobody on the ground was injured, Molinaro said.
Carrollton Fire Chief Greg Samli said three people were onboard the plane.
At noon, Chief Samli said one of the passengers died at the scene and that another was cut out of the plane and en route to a local hospital. The person transported to the hospital by ambulance was said to be conscious.
The victim who died was identified Monday night as Richard Goodrum, 47, of Flower Mound, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's website.
"According to a witness, the parachute didn't fully deploy and that could be it didn't have enough time or it was too low to the ground when it was deployed, or there was a malfunction in the system," said investigator Leah Yeager. "However we don't know that and over the next few days while we're looking at the wreckage we'll be able to determine that."
Police blocked part of Plano Parkway as a precaution.
Fire crews from Addison and Lewisville assisted the Carrollton Fire Department. Upon seeing how close the crash was to the high school, parents and teachers said they were shocked the aircraft didn't come down on the school.
"I was amazed it was as close as it was to the school and power lines," said parent Scott Branan.
