Plano plane crash: Pilot was days away from celebrating 88th birthday

PLANO, Texas - Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board gave more information about a deadly plane crash in Plano Tuesday night.

NTSB investigators arrived at the scene of the crash near West Park Boulevard and Midway Road, across the street from Prestonwood Baptist Church, Wednesday morning.

The pilot, who the Texas Department of Public Safety identified as Elzie M. McDonald, was killed in the crash. McDonald was just days away from celebrating his 88th birthday.

Records show that McDonald lived in Aguila, Arizona, which is less than 100 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Plano Fire-Rescue said the pilot was the only person on board at the time of the crash.

People left flowers at the crash site.

READ MORE: Plano plane crash: Pilot killed in fiery crash at shopping center parking lot

The NTSB said the single-engine Mooney M20 crashed near a strip mall just before 6 p.m.

The plane and an unoccupied van nearby caught fire, but no one else was injured in the crash.

"We saw a bunch of fire trucks, everything speeding and so we were like, 'That's not good,' because we saw smoke in the distance," Austin Selkin recalled.

There was some damage to nearby storefronts. Mama's Daughters' Diner, which was right next to where the plane settled, will be closed through Friday.

The owner of the popular diner said she is thankful no customers or staff members were hurt.

"This is right at my to-go door," Nancy Procaccini said.

Procaccini, owner of Mama's Daughters Diner, showed FOX 4 the fire and thick smoke her surveillance camera captured after the plane crashed right next to her restaurant.

"We are so thankful no one was there picking up an order," she added.

Her sister-in-law, who manages the Plano location, was there when it happened. 

"We all heard this noise, was not a thud, was a booming noise," Laura Bowers recalled. "I could see the flames around the door. I was able to push it open and everything was in flames."

Surveillance video shows Bowers and her staff working to get everyone out safely.

"I’m thankful everyone is ok, but sorry for the gentleman who passed away," Bowers said.

Bowers’ car was destroyed in the fire.

Procaccini said it was emotional for her to see her customers working to get out the door. 

"It is the children that got me, they said they were crying and screaming because of the fire," she said. "Very proud of my staff."

Wednesday, as the smell of smoke still filled the air, many customers showed up hoping to pick up their orders for Thanksgiving.

Most of the orders they couldn't fulfill after evacuating the restaurant while the NTSB investigated the crash.

"To not have Mama's food on their table, like they may have been used to for 10-20 years, I think about that," Procaccini said. "This is like our Super Bowl."

The diner was closed Wednesday, but they feel the support of their customers and friends.

The NTSB said it expects to have a preliminary report on the crash in the next 15 days.

There was at least some indication of trouble before the crash, as the initial FAA report said the pilot was executing a "go-around," which is an emergency maneuver that means he had aborted a landing attempt.

Investigators will look into the flight path, the pilot, and more.

The plane itself has been transported to a secure location for a follow-up investigation.

The Air Park-Dallas Airport is less than a half mile from the crash site.

The NTSB says part of the investigation will include figuring out if the landing strip was the intended destination for the plane.

"That is something we are going to be looking into. We will look at ATC records, radar data, to confirm if that air strip nearby had anything to do with this accident," NTSB investigator Brian Rutt said.