It was a close call for countless people on Friday when a small plane malfunctioned and went down in a residential area of Houston, Texas.
A Cessna 421C Golden Eagle carrying four people had taken off from Hobby Airport at 2:19 p.m., headed for San Antonio Airport, according to information that KPRC-TV obtained from the FAA.
According to KHOU, shortly after takeoff, the pilot radioed a concerning message: “We are having problems with our engine.”
The tower advised him to turn around and land back at the airport, but it was too late.
The last message the tower received was, “We are not going to make it.”
The plane then crashed near Pasadena ISD’s Dobie 9th Grade Center.
Though the plane plowed through several backyards, it didn’t damage any homes. A hot tub and pergola caught fire and were destroyed, but the family who owned the property had not been home at the time, and the fire stopped just short of the home.
The plane ended up coming to rest in another backyard. According to KTRK-TV, an elderly woman had been sitting in a chair on her back porch, ostensibly enjoying the view, when the plane crashed into her backyard — but she was unharmed.
The four in the plane were also able to exit of their own power after the plane went down, sustaining only scratches from the ordeal.
All around this was a miraculous end to what could have been a tragedy — a fact that one woman who works at the nearby school pointed out in a Facebook post.
“As the adrenaline is coming down…and I am able to process what actually happened and what could have been,” Kristi Donaho wrote. “So bear with me as I pick out the God things.
“The pilot amazingly missed our building and homes behind us. Our head Coach was about to cut the grass so our football players and trainers were not on the field. Our officer was on campus..and secured the area before other emergency personnel were on the scene.
“Mind you we were 15 minutes from dismissal. I was already in the hallway waiting on a student when the call came in and had a head start. So very thankful I did not have to utilize my mass causality skills had it hit the building. So very thankful. Thankful for the pilot for controlling the plane as best he could. Thankful they walked out with just scratches. Thankful the transformer did not explode and cause more damage to the homes. Thankful our staff worked seamlessly to get our students off campus safely.
“And one last note….My admin team…can beat your admin team in the 100 yard dash….all day every day! God is good my friends…even when things go a little wrong.”
Since the incident, the plane has been removed and taken to another location to continue the investigation into what caused the crash.
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