Tragic news from our area this morning, with an extra-creepy angle for Houston:
A small passenger plane that crashed along Beltway 8 this morning, killing all three on board, was on its way to pick up former President Bush as its passenger, his office said.The plane was about to land at Hobby Airport when it crashed between Wayside and Cullen, raining down debris on drivers and closing the tollway in both directions.
Just 1-1/2 miles from Hobby's Runway 4, the plane clipped a light pole in the fog just past the Wayside exit's toll booth, then plunged into a field north of the beltway. Debris flung from the plane damaged at least three cars on the tollway, narrowly missing those inside the cars and apparently causing no injuries.
Investigators said the aircraft was a private Gulfstream jet capable of carrying about a dozen passengers, but it was believed to be carrying only a flight attendant and two pilots traveling from Dallas Love Field to Hobby to pick up passengers. One of those passengers was former President Bush, who canceled a trip to Ecuador after the crash.
UPDATE: Blogs of War has been cataloging the paranoid ravings at Democratic Underground as they heap their scorn and hatred on this tragic event. Ugh.
Posted by Alan at November 22, 2004 12:29 PM