2 dead in fiery plane crash in NW Harris County airport, sheriff says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Two people were killed in a fiery plane crash in northwest Harris County on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez shared on X that his office received reports of an aircraft crash at the David Wayne Hooks Airport in the 20800 block of Stuebner Airline.

Investigators said a 1972 Cessna 340 twin-engine aircraft had departed from the airport and was headed toward Lubbock when it developed a mechanical issue. The pilot tried to turn back and land, but was not aligned with the runway. The plane crashed short of the runway and burst into flames.

Gonzalez said the aircraft was fully engulfed, sparking small brush fires nearby.

A man and a woman aboard the plane were both killed, investigators confirmed.