Cessna crashes in Texas, killing 2 aboard, injuring 1 on the ground

A business jet that crashed in Odessa, Texas, Tuesday killed two people on board and injured a woman on the ground as it set fire to nearby businesses and mobile homes.

The plane, a Cessna Citation jet, crashed at 7 a.m., city officials said in a post on Facebook. Bystanders told first responders that the plane went down after taking off from Odessa-Schlemeyer Field.

The plane hit power lines before hitting the ground in an alley. Multiple mobile homes caught fire, and a breakfast spot was also damaged. The unnamed woman was hospitalized after firefighters rescued her from a burning trailer home, Odessa officials said.

Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis confirmed at a news conference that two people in the plane died. He added that witnesses saw the jet struggling to reach proper altitude prior to the crash.

“It’s obvious the pilot attempted to avoid the houses,” the sheriff said.

The fire sparked by the crash was under control by 8:48 a.m., Odessa Fire Rescue Chief Jason Cotton said at the news conference.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead a further investigation into the crash, with the aid of the Federal Aviation Administration.