For the second time in three months, an airplane crash near Lake Conroe outside Houston has resulted in death.
On Saturday morning seven home-built planes were flying in a formation near Lake Conroe when two of the experimental planes collided. According to the Department of Public Safety in Conroe, the crash occurred just before noon near the northern part of the lake. One of the planes flew under another, causing the two planes to collide. Only the pilots were on board each plane.
The plane that flew under the other, a single-engine RV-6, crashed into a forest near the lake. The pilot of that plane died at the scene. The other plane, a single-engine RV-8, crashed into a nearby pond. The pilot of that plane was treated on the scene. Both pilots involved in the crash were reported to be residents of Montgomery, Texas.
According to officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), all seven of the planes had departed earlier that morning from Lone Star Airport
After conducting a brief initial investigation, the FAA turned over the information about the fatal plane crash to the National Transportation Safety Board. The FAA continues further investigate.
Earlier this year, a father and daughter took off from the Conroe Airport in their home-built plane. They were headed to an airshow. The experimental plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing both of them.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “Pilot killed when 2 planes collide near Lake Conroe,” 8/14/11.