Two Mississippi men injured after small plane crashes in Texas field

Published 10:03 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Two Mississippi men were injured Friday after their small plane had an engine problem forcing them to deploy a safety parachute and make an emergency landing in a Texas field.

Texas media reported that the two men were Glen Pace and Patrick Valkenburg, both of Mississippi, were in a Cirrus SR 22 Friday. Pace was the pilot and Valkenburg was a passenger.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported the aircraft clipped a house while making the emergency landing near Tyler, Texas Friday afternoon.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The plan was reportedly traveling from Terrell, Texas, and was headed to Gladewater, Texas.

“While en route, the pilot experienced a loss of power and deployed the parachute for landing. The plane clipped a house during its descent. Ground injuries and damage have not been reported to the FAA,” FAA officials reported in a statement.

Texas media reported both the pilot and the passenger were taken to hopsitals for treatment, though their injuries were not immediately known.

Both men reportedly work for a Mississippi-based auction company, Jeff Martin Auctioneers, Inc. The company’s website listed an upcoming auction in Texas.

The Cirrus SR 22 is a somewhat unusual airplane in that it features a safety parachute designed to safely lower the aircraft to the ground in case of an emergency. Photos from the scene showed the parachute appeared to have deployed.