MCKINNEY, Texas — A small plane crashed into a car Saturday afternoon after making an emergency landing in McKinney, city officials said.
The pilot, who flew from Midland and was trying to make the emergency landing at Aero County Airport, was unable to stop the plane at the end of the runway, officials added. It then went through a fence and onto eastbound Virginia Parkway, where it collided into a car driving by.
Jack Schneider was working nearby and captured the entire accident on his phone.
“I saw the airplane coming down the runway quickly I knew that he wasn’t gonna have time to stop. It was clearly going too fast, the tires were smoking… So I quickly pulled out my phone because I could tell something was about to happen,” said Schneider.
McKinney residents Shadi Hiwiadi and Youssef Moustafa were among those watching in disbelief.
“Usually when you drive, you check your left, you check your right, you don’t check up though,” said Hiwiadi.
“Yeah, it was crazy. He was trying to land, and the brakes didn’t work and he went through the fence,” said Moustafa.
McKinney Fire Department paramedics examined three patients at the scene, officials said – two on the plane and one in the car. The driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
“She was definitely surprised, it’s not something you expect to have happened to you,” said Schneider.
Witnesses who spoke with the pilot said it was his first time landing at Aero Airport, and that he claimed the aircraft’s reverse thrust, which slows the plane down, wasn’t working
“It was completely surreal. I wasn’t expecting it, obviously… Everybody is okay though and we’re all thankful that nobody was hurt,” said Schneider.
Officials said FAA investigators are headed to the scene to determine what caused the crash. Drivers are advised to avoid the area as the roadway will be closed for hours.