ATLANTA,None — Five people, including two children, were killed when a single-engine plane from Atlanta crashed in central Texas and authorities say weather may have played a role in the crash.
Ernest Contreras of the Texas Department of Public Safety says the crash happened Monday night just before 10 p.m. in a farming and ranching community in Brazos County.
Texas Highway Patrol identified the victims as Michael Butler, 33, of Stockbridge, his wife Kelly Butler, 34, and their children Brooke, 14, and David, 2. Michael Butler's brother, David Butler, 37, of Mount Calm, Texas, was also killed.
"They're just a happy family and it's just devastating. Things were going so well for them," a family friend said. "You can't understand what it's like, especially if you know them. They were lovely people. It's a huge, huge loss."
Contreras says the flight originated in Atlanta, stopped in Jackson, Miss., and was headed for Waco, Texas, when it crashed on a ranch less than 100 miles from the airport. A resident called 911 to report the crash.
Contreras says severe weather that had been moving through the area may have played a role in the crash but authorities were still investigating.
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Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the crash scene Tuesday and flew over the area in a helicopter, following a similar flight plan to the aircraft that crashed.
"From there, you can see a whole lot more than you can see from down here," said Department of Public Safety Cpl. Jimmy Morgan, who was also at the scene. "Maybe you can see something we don't."
A spokesman with the FAA told Channel 2's Michael Buczyner that the investigation could take up to a year.
WSBTV
