Jacksonville, Florida – A small plane that departed from Jacksonville crashed in Tom Green County, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, leaving no survivors. Officials have confirmed the devastating outcome following a search and rescue effort that ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Details of the Ill-Fated Flight
The aircraft, identified as a 1997 Pilatus PC-12, a model that typically seats up to twelve passengers, encountered trouble shortly before the crash. This was revealed in a conversation between the pilot and air traffic control. The pilot had intended to land in San Angelo, Texas, but overshot the runway, according to the dialogue recorded minutes before the crash.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were two people on board the plane. The flight departed from Craig Airport in Jacksonville on Thursday morning. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Justin Baker, the plane crashed close to Christoval at around 12:38 p.m. The crash site, located on a ranch, was discovered with the assistance of Customs and Border Patrol.
Sgt. Baker conveyed the grim news that the search and rescue operation had not yielded any survivors. A distressing recording of the pilot’s final transmission captured him stating, “We got a problem!” In the minutes following this transmission, an air traffic controller is heard seeking assistance to locate the aircraft, saying, “(I) just had an aircraft that possibly went down.”
The Aircraft’s Flight History
The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether they were residents of Jacksonville. Flight records reveal that since August, the plane has been active, flying more than a dozen times. Its routes frequently included departures from San Diego’s Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport and landings in different states, such as Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Florida.
The aircraft’s most recent travels included a trip from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on October 21 and several trips between Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville after that. The last recorded trip was from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville on December 13, before the aircraft departed for Texas.
As investigations continue, the exact cause of the onboard problem leading to the crash remains unknown, leaving unanswered questions in this incident.