Two people were killed in a plane crash near Fort Worth on Sunday, and the cause is under investigation and the passengers’ identities are still unknown.
The plane crash caused a large cloud of black smoke and flames to spread throughout the back parking lot of a business that stores 18-wheelers, trailers and campers in the 12700 block of North Saginaw Boulevard.
The twin-engine plane crashed around 1:36 p.m., Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Craig Trojacek said. The two people who boarded the plane died in the crash, he said.
Here’s what we know so far
Breaking News
The Fort Worth Fire Department said the Beechcraft King Air C-90 aircraft had departed from Alliance Airport, which is only about 7.1 miles away from where it crashed.
At least 10 tractor-trailers in the area were damaged and caught fire during the crash. A grass fire also caught, but firefighters stopped it from spreading in about 35 minutes.
The fire department said the agency had 60 personnel at the scene, along with 10 firetrucks, 14 support vehicles and three ambulances.
Witnesses and people at nearby businesses attempted to help any survivors, but did not find anyone.
Gregory Delano was at Fat Billiards pool hall down the street when someone ran in asking for help and looking for a nurse.
They said a plane had crashed, Delano said. By the time he ran from the pool hall to the crash site, he said all he saw was plumes of smoke and flames.
“It was a giant ball of fire,” Delano said, adding he could not see or hear anybody.
Who is investigating?
The plane crash investigation has been handed off to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according fire and Tarrant County officials.
The FAA said due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, it would not be responding to routine media inquiries, according to an automated response to The Dallas Morning News on Sunday.
The NTSB website has also stated that due to a lapse in funding, the agency’s site will not be updated as of Oct. 1 and cannot “respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted.”
The News has reached out to both agencies to determine how the current government shutdown may hinder the investigation.