Plane crashes into trailer park in Odessa, West Texas, two dead

On Tuesday morning, a plane crashed into an alley in West Texas, killing two people on board, injuring others and burning mobile homes to the ground.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. in Odessa and caused several structure fires, according to Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis. Firefighters rescued a woman from a burning mobile home and took her to the hospital.

“Witnesses said they saw the plane trying to gain altitude, clipping power lines and eventually crashing in the alley,” Griffis told reporters. “After some explosions, a large fire broke out.”

Witnesses saw the plane move away from some houses before it crashed, Griffis said, adding that it was “obvious that the pilot was trying to avoid the houses.”

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the cause of the crash is currently being investigated.

An entire block of houses damaged

The small plane traveled nearly a city block before hitting the ground, Odessa Fire Chief Jason Cotton said at a news conference.

Several vehicles, businesses, outbuildings, warehouses and backyards were damaged, Cotton added. Firefighters have brought the fire under control.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the aircraft was a Cessna Citation business jet that took off from Odessa-Schlemeyer Field airport and then crashed into the trailer park.