Single-engine plane that crashed in Fannin County was stolen, police say
FANNIN COUNTY — The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a fatal plane crash in Fannin County, close to the Red River.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the aircraft was likely stolen from ATP Flight School in Addison.
DPS identified the pilot as 23-year-old Logan James, a private pilot certificated ATP student.
ATP confirmed the crash involved a Cessna 172 from its training facility in Addison in a statement:
"On Wednesday, January 24, an ATP Cessna 172 from the Addison, TX, training center was involved in a fatal accident near Hugo, OK, northwest of Paris, TX.
A private pilot certificated ATP student was the only aircraft occupant. The accident occurred in a remote area, and there were no injuries to anyone on the ground.
ATP is fully cooperating with local emergency response, FAA, and NTSB authorities. More details will become available through the course of the investigation.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the pilot's family, loved ones, friends and colleagues."
ATP has not yet answered questions from CBS News Texas about whether the plane was stolen from its facility and how that was able to happen.
The Addison Police Department says it is investigating to determine if the plane was stolen.
The aircraft left Addison Airport at 6:54 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Town of Addison. Flight tracker ADS-B Exchange shows the plane first headed east, then flew north past Sulphur Springs and Paris.
DPS says it then crashed in an open field nine miles northeast of Telephone, TX at 8:26 p.m.
James was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to James' father, he grew up in North Carolina and graduated from UT Dallas. James started training at ATP Flight School in June and planned on becoming a commercial airline pilot.
His dad described James as, "a wonderful son, with a gentle and loving spirit."
CBS News Texas obtained radio transmissions between the pilot and the Addison Tower, where he informs the tower controller he is not going to listen to their instructions and plans on heading to east Texas, before it sounds like he cuts off communications: "I'm going to pull the comm 1 circuit breaker and the comm 2 circuit breaker right here soon, as soon as I unkey the mic –"
The tower controller then asks the pilot to repeat what he said, but there is no answer.