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3 Houston-area residents killed in small plane crash in Louisiana | Houston Public Media

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, October 22nd 2025 at 12:23 GMT by Houston Public Media
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A small single‑engine aircraft crashed in the Texas Panhandle on Thursday, October 22, 2025, sending shockwaves through the Houston metropolitan area and the surrounding communities of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The incident, which occurred at roughly 12:30 p.m. local time, involved a Cessna 172 that was en route from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Houston, Texas, when it lost power and crashed near the intersection of County Road 28 and U.S. Highway 287 in the town of Forth Worth, just north of the Houston‑Dallas‑Fort Worth corridor. All three people on board were killed, including the pilot and two passengers who were residents of Houston.

The Cessna 172, a popular training and recreational aircraft, had been registered in the state of Louisiana and was flown by a 45‑year‑old pilot, Captain John M. Carter, who held an airline transport pilot certificate. The passengers, a 28‑year‑old Houston‑based software engineer and a 55‑year‑old retired schoolteacher, were both residents of the Houston area and had been traveling to a business conference in Houston when the aircraft suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff. The pilot attempted a forced landing but was unable to keep the aircraft in controlled flight, and the aircraft crashed into a cornfield, producing a significant fireball and a plume of smoke that was visible for miles.

Emergency services were dispatched immediately. The Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Safety Division, the Houston Fire Department, and the Texas Department of State Health Services all responded to the scene within minutes. A multi‑agency search and rescue operation was conducted, with the Texas Emergency Management Agency coordinating efforts and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assigning a team of investigators to the site. The aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and are currently being analyzed by the FAA to determine the exact cause of the engine failure.

The FAA issued a statement shortly after the incident, noting that the agency was conducting a full investigation into the crash and would release preliminary findings as soon as they were available. “We are working closely with the Texas Department of Transportation and other local authorities to understand what occurred,” the statement read. “Our goal is to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent future accidents.”

Lafayette Parish officials also weighed in on the tragedy. The Parish Commissioner, who has a personal connection to the pilot’s family, expressed deep sorrow for the loss of life. “Captain Carter was a respected member of our community,” the commissioner said. “He was known for his dedication to aviation safety and his service to the people of Lafayette. We are mourning his loss, as well as the loss of the passengers from Houston.”

The incident has had a ripple effect on the Houston area, where several residents were relatives or friends of the deceased passengers. A local news station reported that a group of Houston families gathered at the airport to honor the victims and to support the pilot’s family, many of whom had known the pilot and his passengers for years. The Houston Chamber of Commerce also issued a statement expressing condolences to the families and reaffirming the city’s commitment to aviation safety.

The crash has also drawn attention to the growing number of general‑aviation flights that use the Houston‑Dallas‑Fort Worth airspace. In recent years, the FAA has reported an increase in recreational and business aviation traffic in the region, citing a rise in the number of pilots holding private licenses and an expansion of corporate flight operations. Aviation safety experts say that while the overall accident rate remains low, incidents like this highlight the importance of rigorous maintenance and adherence to safety protocols, especially for older aircraft models such as the Cessna 172.

In the wake of the crash, the FAA has announced plans to enhance training programs for pilots operating in the Houston region, with a focus on emergency procedures and engine failure response. The FAA’s Office of Civil Aviation Safety will collaborate with the Texas Department of Transportation to review current maintenance standards for older aircraft and to develop educational resources for both pilots and aircraft owners.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and additional details are expected to be released in the coming days. For now, the Houston community, the families in Lafayette Parish, and aviation stakeholders remain united in mourning and in their commitment to learning from this tragedy to prevent future accidents.