A tragic incident occurred on Thursday (March 13) when a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Mesquite Metro Airport in Texas, resulting in the death of the pilot. The aircraft, a Cessna CitationJet, took off around 7:40 a.m. with only the pilot on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The crash site was a wooded area near East Cartwright Road and Lawson Road, where emergency responders found the wreckage engulfed in flames.
The Mesquite Police Department confirmed that no homes or structures were damaged in the crash. Home surveillance footage captured the aftermath, showing thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are set to investigate the incident to determine the cause of the crash. The pilot's identity has not been released.
Witnesses reported seeing two explosions and described a strong burning smell in the area. Maria Yepez, who witnessed the plane crash while dropping her kids off at school, told KDFW, "It was not like a regular smell like when a house is burning or when you turn on your chimney and stuff. It was a different smell."