The pilot died when a small plane crashed and caught fire southeast of Hicks Airfield, near the intersection of W. Bonds Ranch Road and Blue Sky Drive on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The crash was reported shortly before 10 a.m.
Videos shared to social media showed the small aircraft on fire. Video from Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV shows the single-engine plane burnt, with pieces broken off, on the side of W. Bonds Ranch Road.
The crash site is just on the other side of a wall from a residential neighborhood.
The pilot died when a single-engine Lancair IV-P plane crashed near a residential neighborhood off W. Bonds Ranch Road, a short distance from Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The plane caught on fire. Glen E. Ellman Fort Worth Fire Department 
The pilot died when a single-engine Lancair IV-P plane crashed near a residential neighborhood off W. Bonds Ranch Road, a short distance from Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The plane caught on fire. Glen E. Ellman Fort Worth Fire Department
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that a Lancair IV-P crashed about 9:50 a.m., and only the pilot was on board. The pilot’s name has not yet been released. He will be identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said that firefighters extinguished the fire, which had spread to the surrounding grass after the crash.
The crash also apparently knocked down a power line. An Oncor Electric crew was at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
Police and an Oncor Electric crew work near the scene of a fatal plane crash in far north Fort Worth on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Shambhavi Rimal FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
Preliminary information indicates the airplane had engine issues and it turned back toward the airport before a post-impact fire, NTSB officials said in a statement.
An NTSB investigator is expected to arrive Thursday, Oct. 8 to document the scene and examine the aircraft, the organization said. The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.
According to the NTSB, investigators will gather flight track data, recordings of air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records, weather forecasts and actual conditions, witness statements, available surveillance video, electronic devices and pilot license and background records.
A preliminary report containing factual information gathered during the initial phase will be available within 30 days in the NTSB investigations database. A probable cause of the crash along with contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months, according to the statement.
Fort Worth police and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
‘I couldn’t believe it’: Community reacts
The aircraft crashed very close to a newly built residential community. Terry Borden, who works for Pulte Homes, was working not far from where the plane crashed and said he did not hear any sound, but when he went outside, he saw fire and smoke, he said in a conversation with the Star-Telegram.
Borden said he initially thought someone threw a cigarette out a window, causing a brush fire.
But when he heard about the plane crash, he said, “I could believe it, but I couldn’t believe it. I could believe it because they’re always flying in circles around the neighborhood and around this whole area.”
“It’s awful that somebody would have gone down like that, so close to the runway,” Borden said. “You know, it wasn’t 100 yards from the runway, so I’m not sure what happened.”
The pilot died when a single-engine Lancair IV-P plane crashed near a residential neighborhood off W. Bonds Ranch Road, a short distance from Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Shambhavi Rimal FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
When asked if he was concerned about having homes so close to the airfield, Borden said the planes that fly in and out are small enough that they would not cause much damage, even if one hit a house.
“My first reaction was really: Is the pilot OK?” Reshad Simmons, a neighborhood resident, said. “Just sad what happened to him. It’s kind of one of those weird situations because you kind of never expect something that close to happen. I was pretty shocked.”
Simmons said his wife was inside when the crash occurred and heard a small pop. After coming outside, they noticed a strong smell of gas.
.jpg "IMG_5828 (1).jpg")
The pilot died when a single-engine Lancair IV-P plane crashed near a residential neighborhood off W. Bonds Ranch Road, a short distance from Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Shambhavi Rimal FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
“Just the proximity of it was kind of scary because my kids are here, my wife is here, and luckily, I don’t think it hit anybody’s house — that’s a blessing,” Simmons said.
According to the Fire Department, no damage to homes or other injuries were reported.
Another homeowner, who did not provide his name, said he heard about the crash through the community Facebook group. He said he was at home with his young children and was scared to learn about the crash.
This story was originally published October 7, 2026 at 11:10 AM.
Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Harriet Ramos covers crime and other breaking news for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.