The pilot, who safely landed a plane that experienced some type of mechanical error, is being credited for his training and quick thinking.
"We are so proud of how we handled it and so glad he’s fine, and again, I think it lands on training, he was trained the right way," said Clay Hooten, director of marketing and communications for Aviator Air Flight School in Grand Prairie.
Arlington Police said a Cessna 172R plane made an emergency landing on Timberlake Dr. near Park Row Dr. in Arlington around 2 p.m. on Monday after an 'unknown mechanical error.'
The plane, which is owned by the school, crashed into a chain link fence in a parking lot but avoided any buildings.
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The pilot who maneuvered the emergency crash landing is 26 years old and received his private pilot license in May. He currently works at the front desk at the school.
“I talked to him this morning and they're fine. It was a hard landing and we're so grateful that it was it worked out the way that it did because that's one of the risks that you take with flying airplanes, you know, so we're really glad that he's okay both of them are just fine," said Hooten about the pilot and his passenger.
Hooten said the pilot was enjoying a quick flight and took a friend. He said when they were coming back to land, that's when they experienced an unknown issue. The crash happened about two miles away from the Grand Prairie Municipal Airport.
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"It was right at the tail end of that flight, and so he just could not make it back to the runway," explained Hooten. "It all happens really fast, and that's why we focus so much on those types of scenarios, because, pilot training is all about understanding everything that could possibly happen during that flight and being prepared for it."
Hooten described how the pilot went through a quick checklist in that situation. Nearby surveillance video captured the crash landing.
"He's just maintaining control the aircraft, and he's trying to find the safest place to put it down. So it happened very quickly. He did have complete control of the aircraft, but he just couldn't make it back fully," said Hooten. "Fortunately and unfortunately, it adds to his experience. Now he gets to put that under his belt as a something that he managed really, really well."
Despite the crash three days ago, the school said the pilot was already back up in the air on Wednesday.
"Once you get the bug, nothing is going to hold you back, you want to get back up as soon as possible. I think what’s great about him, he's just calm, he's smart, and he loves it and that's just the thing that we love to see in the students that come and train with us is that willingness to learn, that willingness to have a calm head, that's such a great part of how it turned out so well for him," said Hooten.
The company said the plane is at a salvage facility for planes in Dallas where it will be evaluated.
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.
