ODESSA, Texas — A pilot and passenger killed in a small plane crash in West Texas have been identified, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
DPS identified the pilot as Joseph Vincent Summa, 48, of Bellaire, and the passenger as Joleen Cavaretta Weatherly, 49, of Orange.
Witnesses said on Tuesday the plane struggled to gain altitude after taking off from an Odessa airport and then struck a power line before crashing in an alley at about 7 a.m., according to authorities. Both people aboard the plane died.
“It's obvious the pilot attempted to avoid the houses,” Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said.
The large fire on the ground was sparked from a couple of explosions after the plane crash, he said.
In addition to a couple of mobile homes, some outbuildings in backyards also caught on fire, said Odessa Fire Rescue Chief Jason Cotton. A woman who was injured had to be rescued from one of the burning mobile homes and was taken to a hospital, he said. There was also damage to vehicles, fences, and a restaurant in the city of about 114,000.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Cessna Citation business jet. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.