Plane crash near beltway 8; was en route to pick up former President Bush

Plane that crashed was on its way
to pick up former President Bush
By S.K. BARDWELL
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A small passenger plane that crashed along Beltway 8 this morning, killing all three on board, was on its way to pick up former President Bush as its passenger, his office said.


The plane was about to land at Hobby Airport when it crashed between Wayside and Cullen, raining down debris on drivers and closing the tollway in both directions.

Just 1-1/2 miles from Hobby's Runway 4, the plane clipped a light pole in the fog just past the Wayside exit's toll booth, then plunged into a field north of the beltway. Debris flung from the plane damaged at least three cars on the tollway, narrowly missing those inside the cars and apparently causing no injuries.

Investigators said the aircraft was a private Gulfstream jet capable of carrying about a dozen passengers, but it was believed to be carrying only a flight attendant and two pilots traveling from Dallas Love Field to Hobby to pick up passengers.

Firefighters responding to the 6:19 a.m. call recovered three bodies.

"We're pretty confident that's all we're going to find," said Houston Fire Department District Chief Jack Williams.

Firefighters extinguished the fire that was burning in the field and the debris is cooling, but thunderstorms are hampering work at the site, where investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration are focusing on an engine lying about 100 yards beyond the fuselage.

Plane parts and bodies can't be moved until investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrive. Houston Police Sgt. David Crain said both officers and FAA investigators have interviewed witnesses on the tollway -- whom he described as "traumatized" -- but they must still be interviewed by NTSB investigators before talking to reporters.

A line of debris stretches a quarter of a mile from the field back to the tollway light pole, which was snapped in half by the plane. The top half of the pole could be seen dangling from the part of the pole left standing. One of the plane's wings lies nearby.

Police closed the heavily traveled beltway, also known as the Sam Houston Tollway, in both directions, along with its access roads. Authorities expect it to remain closed for most of the day until NTSB investigators have a chance to examine the debris.

A pickup that ran over debris ended up only with flat tires, but other motorists had closer calls. One piece of debris shattered the windshield of a car, and another piece smashed through the passenger side window of van, barely missing the passenger. The van was carrying a family to Hobby Airport, where they had hoped to pick up a flight to New York to visit a sick relative.

After they missed their Hobby flight, tollway authorities gave them a ride to Bush Intercontinental Airport to catch another plane.

Hobby Airport reported no flight disruptions after the crash this morning, although severe weather in the Houston area may yet cause flight delays.

At the time of the crash, fog blanketed the Houston area and visibility was "less than ideal," said Roger Smith, a spokesman for the Houston Airport System. Nonetheless, airplanes were taking off and landing normally, he said.

The plane that crashed had been in communication with air-traffic controllers at Hobby's tower, he said. Controllers received no distress call from the pilot, but when they didn't hear from him on schedule about a minute before his landing time, they issued an alert.

The FAA reported that the plane's registered owner is Jet Place of Tulsa, Okla. .

A firefighter dragging a hose through the mud at the crash site pulled some chest muscles and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/2912983

 

Well, why would he put that in the D&D. My thread is slightly later, but in the right place