At approximately 3 p.m. a fixed-wing, twin-engine, eight-seater Piper Navajo PA-31-350 aircraft with the tail number N818BR, crashed at the intersection of NE Zac Lentz Parkway and Mockingbird Lane in Victoria.
The plane struck three vehicles and involved five people. Three were taken to area hospitals for non-life threatening injuries and one person was flown to a different hospital for a higher level of care. One person was not taken to the hospital but was examined at the scene of the accident.
The type of plane is identified by the tail number on the Federal Aviation Administration website. The plane is registered to MARC Inc. in Hinds County, Mississippi.
The aircraft made an emergency landing on the northeast side of Zac Lentz Parkway, in traffic, at the intersection. One vehicle flipped next to the aircraft and two vehicles were severely damaged. The plane is split in two at the intersection.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that only the pilot was onboard the plane at the time of the crash.
As of 4:30 p.m., traffic was still backed up. Medics and the Victoria Police Department continue to respond to the
On Wednesday, the aircraft departed from Victoria Regional Airport at 9:52 a.m. and was last seen at 2:57 p.m. near Victoria. Flight logs show the aircraft was flying in Victoria on Tuesday for almost two hours, Monday for another two hours, and Friday for almost four hours.
The highest reported altitude, according to Crossroads Today, was 14,000 feet, and the lowest was 10,000 feet over a four-hour period while the plane was circling the airport. Around 2:00 p.m., the the plane took a dramatic decrease in altitude. It lost contact with air traffic control at 2:57 p.m.
The local police scanner reported at around 3 p.m. a downed aircraft and a possible fire.
Victoria Independent School District released a statement advising bus routes were adjusted to avoid the area and parents picking up students are going to experience a delay. No school activities are being impacted.
