PLANO (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Tragic news struck as the pilot of a single-engine plane met a fatal end following a crash in a Plano shopping center parking lot on Tuesday evening. Plano Fire-Rescue officials responded to the crash just before 6 p.m. in front of Mama’s Daughters’ Diner, situated in Prestonwood Park off West Park Boulevard.
A customer at a neighboring nail salon recounted hearing a deafening boom before witnessing the unfortunate incident unfold a few feet away from the business.
Kiu Nguyen shared their fright, “When I came out, there was a lot of smoke and later I heard a noise again. It was so scary. Everybody came and saw a lot of smoke.”
Officials reported that the plane did not land on or collide with anything, but the fire did impact an unoccupied parked car.
Kevin Holigan, a witness, described how the flames were so intense that it was difficult to discern what was ablaze, “All I could see is the original fire and the car next to it on fire.”
As per the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash occurred north of Air Park-Dallas Airport, but it is unclear if that was the plane’s intended destination.
No further information is available at this time, and the investigation will be handled by both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
