The pilot of a small plane that crashed in Arlington is being credited for an emergency landing that adverted hitting buildings or loss of life.
Arlington Police said A Cessna 172R, N397ES plane made an emergency landing on Timberlake Dr. near Park Row Dr. in Arlington around 2 p.m. on Monday.
Police said the pilot and passenger onboard were able exit the plane and were not seriously injured.
The aircraft is registered to Aviator Air Operations LLC, Aviator Air Flight School LLC, located at Grand Prairie Municipal Airport. It's less than two miles away from where the plane crashed.
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In a Facebook post, the company said their aircraft "suffered an unknown mechanical error," which forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing just West of Grand Prairie Municipal Airport.
"Both the pilot and passenger walked away with no injuries. We're proud that the pilot acted quickly, relied on his training, and got the airplane down safely with minimal damage to the surrounding area and no harm to themselves. As we get more information around some of the details, we'd be happy to respond when appropriate," said the company in the post.
Surveillance video from a neighboring business captured when the plane crashed into a chain link fence.
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"I was like, 'A plane!?' it was pretty surprising," said Veronica Gomez, a long-time employee.
She said she heard a noise but thought it was an 18-wheeler or a car crash on the busy roadway next to the storage unit facility. Gomez said it wasn't until she saw people on the surveillance video that she went to look outside and saw the plane.
Gomez then looked back at the footage and realized the crash was recorded.
"I was like wow, I can't believe I got that," expressed Gomez. "I thought he's a pretty amazing pilot, and I think he went into the fence knowing it would slow him down enough to not hit the apartments."
The plane landed before crashing into traffic and avoided crashing into a new apartment complex, which appeared to be vacant and still under construction.
"I give the pilot credit. It looks like he did a masterful job of putting that airplane in one of the few spots where it could do the least amount of damage, he deserves a lot of credit for that," said Dan Stratman, an Air Force Pilot Veteran and retired commercial airline pilot. He is now a best-selling author of an aviation thriller.
"When I saw the condition of the airplane after the crash, I was amazed that the pilot and passenger had with very little injuries," said Stratman. "
While the exact cause of the plane crash is under investigation, Stratman said in general terms, pilots constantly practice engine failure procedures.
"At the altitude, you're flying at when you're in the pattern at an airport, you have very little time. You're probably 1,000 feet above the ground, so you have very little time. Hopefully your muscle memory kicks in, and you do the procedures immediately for trying to restore engine power, but the number one priority is stay above your stall speed and find a suitable place to land so, like I said, that pilot maybe had 20 seconds 30 seconds to do all that," explained Stratman based off his experience.
He said he looked up the plane's flight path, which showed it had flown South, and then turned around.
"That was one of the few spaces on the ground where you could land and not really injure anyone, so I think he did a great job," said Stratman.
The National Transportation Safety Board said they have not sent an investigator to the scene. They are working with the Federal Aviation Administration, which will conduct a damage assessment and provide that information to the NTSB, which will then determine if a full investigation is needed.
