Wednesday, October 10, 2001

Twin-engine plane crashes into Dallas neighborhood
By April Castro
Associated Press

DALLAS — A corporate airplane lost control upon final approach to Love Field on Tuesday, clipping a house and a garage, power lines and a gas meter before crashing into a cluster of trees, officials said.

The pilot, Michael Short, 36, was in serious condition Tuesday night at Parkland Memorial Hospital, said hospital spokeswoman Gerilyn Laurence.

Short, who was alone on the plane, was treated for a broken leg and cuts on his face.

Electricity and gas were shut off to about 300 homes, and six houses were evacuated while crews extricated the pilot from the twin-engine C90 Beechcraft, aid Lt. Doug Dickerson of Dallas Fire Rescue.

“We’re very fortunate for two reasons. Number one, no one on the ground was injured, and also because there was no explosion with the crash,” Dickerson said.
Hazardous material crews sprayed flame-retardant foam onto jet fuel that was leaking from the crumpled airplane, Dickerson said.

The cause of the accident was unclear. Crews late Tuesday loaded the bulk of the wreckage onto a flatbed trailer for removal and inspection.

John Clabes, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the plane apparently lost power in one engine and swerved to the right before crashing.

The FAA was at the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board was en route to investigate, he said.

Authorities got the first call about the crash at 1:25 p.m., Dickerson said.

The airplane was built in 1976 and owned by J&D Aircraft Sales LLC of Pasco, Wash., an Internet search of the plane’s tail number showed.

Love Field, home to Southwest Airlines, is located near downtown Dallas.