Plane Went Down While Turning Short Final

A pilot and his passenger were lost Saturday afternoon when their single-engine plane went down on approach to a Denton County, TX airfield. The accident occurred at Propwash Airport (16X), located about three miles west of Justin.

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel said the plane crashed at about 1:30pm, in a pasture less than a quarter-mile from the end of the runway. Haschel said the accident plane was turning onto the final approach, flying with two other planes, when it crashed.

Denton County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tom Reedy said the plane went down nose first at the airport's north end, and burst into flames. The two other planes landed without incident, according to Associated Press reports.

Witness Mark Airey, whose residence is at the airport, proceeded directly to the crash site in a golf cart, but smoke and flames had already engulfed the wreckage. Airey said he had talked with the pilot and his friend about noon, before they took off.

The names of the deceased had not yet been released, but the pilot was reported to have several years of flying experience.

The aircraft was identified as a Nanchang CJ-6, a two-seat aircraft developed in 1958 and produced by the Chinese manufacturer. Its direct predecessor, the CJ-5, was actually a Yak-18 built under license from the Soviet Union.

Federal Aviation Administration officials investigating the crash were on the scene later Saturday.

FMI: www.faa.gov