DEA Plane Collides into Family in Crash-Landing on Texas Street

Morrow & Sheppard LLP represents a Tesla X driver and his family members whose car was hit by a plane on September 19, 2018. A plane carrying three special agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), onboard for a training mission, crashed into a Tesla Model X after performing an emergency landing on a public roadway in Sugar Land, Texas on Wednesday afternoon. The single-engine Cessna plane was supposed to land at the Sugar Land Regional Airport around 3:00 p.m. on September 19^th. Instead, the plane crashed into a powerline before hitting two cars, according to the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman, Lynn Lunsford. Lunsford also stated that the pilot reported engine problems before the crash had occurred. The Federal Aviation Administration will assist with the investigation into the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board is the lead investigator on this crash.

Wendell Campbell, a DEA Houston Division Special Agent, said, “The plane had some mechanical difficulties, and they had to do an emergency landing.” Before plunging onto Voss Road, near Highway 6, the malfunctioning plane clipped power lines and struck several cars in its trajectory. Major Chad Norvell of the Fort Bend Sheriff’s County Office tweeted that the plane was leaking fuel but did not catch fire at the scene.

During this emergency landing, one of the three federal agents on the plane was injured and taken to the hospital. The agent was later released, and the other two agents were able to walk away from the crash with minor injuries. None of the DEA agents have been identified by authorities.

According to a DEA spokesman, the pilot purposely downed the plane on Voss Road, to minimize the harm caused by the crash-landing. “It was the safest place I could find to land,” the pilot said to KHOU 11 (CBS Houston). Homes and businesses alike are on both sides of Voss Road, not even 50 feet away from where the plane went down. KPRC-TV, a local NBC affiliate, released video footage from the crash site.

Houston Aviation Accident Attorney

Morrow & Sheppard LLP is privileged to represent those who have been involved in aviation accidents, as well as their families. If you have been involved in an aircraft accident in Texas, you need to seek the assistance of a qualified aviation accident attorney. He or she will be able to provide you with a better understanding of your case and the potential damages available to you. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation today!