Two people were killed after a plane crashed near a Texas airfield and collided with an 18-wheeler and multiple trailers before bursting into flames on Sunday afternoon, according to local officials and shocking footage.
The plane crashed nose-first before sliding along the pavement at high speed. It collided with an 18-wheeler and several trailers, which sent the aircraft vertical as it burst into flames, surveillance footage obtained by WFAA shows.
Thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage were visible from miles away. One witness told the outlet that they heard a loud boom and that a frantic customer rushed inside, asking them to call the police.
Lauren Anderson, who also saw the crash, described a 100-foot “giant black cloud of smoke” that dissipated soon after authorities responded.
“Honestly, it kind of just looks like nothing even happened. It’s like a weird feeling, knowing something did,” Anderson told The New York Times of the clean-up.
The fiery crash took place in Tarrant County near Hicks Airfield, the Fort Worth Fire Department said.
The airfield sits between Fort Worth Alliance Airport and Fort Worth Meacham Airport. It’s also west of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The two victims have not been identified, and it’s unclear if any others nearby were injured.
The fire has since been contained, fire officials told CBS News.
The FAA is leading an investigation.
A day earlier, a helicopter crashed into a row of palm trees near the edge of California’s Huntington Beach during preparations for an automobile and aircraft showcase.
Five people were hospitalized for injuries sustained during the crash, including a child.
Eric Nixon, a renowned aerial stuntman, was confirmed to be the pilot aboard the chopper. Nixon sustained “some broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and several bruises,” his father-in-law told local outlets.
