A plane crashed into a mobile home park in Odessa, Texas, resulting in the deaths of two people and leaving one person hospitalized.
Officials in Odessa announced on social media that on Tuesday, August 20, around 7 a.m., Odessa Fire Rescue responded to reports of an “aircraft incident.” Upon arrival at the scene, they discovered heavy smoke and fire affecting several mobile homes and nearby shop buildings.
Witnesses informed the police that a “small aircraft” departed from Odessa-Schlemeyer Field Airport prior to its crash, according to officials. “The initial damage shows the aircraft hit power lines on Yukon and traveled almost an entire block before going down in the alley near 68th between Alderfer Ave. & Stevenson Ave,” officials added.
The crash ignited a fire that engulfed two vehicles and a carport, as shown in photos shared by Odessa officials. Firefighters from Odessa Fire Rescue were seen fighting the large fire.
Ector County Sheriff Michael Griffis announced that two people aboard a plane died in an incident. Odessa Fire Rescue Chief Jason Cotton reported that firefighters rescued a woman from a burning trailer and took her to the hospital, but details about her injuries were not provided.
Authorities Reveal the Identities of Those Killed in the Plane Crash at the Mobile Park
The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified the plane’s occupants to The New York Times as pilot Joseph Vincent Summa, 48, from Bellaire, Texas, and passenger Joleen Cavaretta Weatherly, 49, from Orange, Texas.
Griffis reported that a witness informed officers he observed the plane “struggling to gain altitude” before it crashed in an alleyway. He noted that there was a large fire following several explosions, while Cotton stated that the damage affected “an entire block.”
A photo released by Odessa officials highlighted the damage caused by the aircraft to a section of the restaurant known as Dewey’s. No one at the eatery was injured due to the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.