The pilot of a small plane was killed Tuesday night when the aircraft crashed into the parking lot of a Texas shopping center, authorities said.
The single-engine Mooney M20 fell from the sky at around 6 p.m. in Plano, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Emergency crews responded to the scene of the flaming wreck that landed outside a nail salon and a diner.
The pilot, who has not been identified, was the only person on board the plane, Plano Fire Department Lt. Daniel Daly told CNN. Daly added that the aircraft thankfully “did not land on or collide with anything,” though the flames from the crash spread to a nearby unoccupied vehicle.
He also explained that the parking lot where the plane crashed is less than a mile from the Air Park-Dallas Airport.
“It was just flames everywhere, it was really bad,” witness Austin Selkin told KDFW. He added: “I was just hoping that they could get the person out, but I’m not sure if they did.”
It’s not yet clear what may have caused the crash. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to send investigators to the site on Wednesday.
