Athens Review, Athens, Texas - Plane stolen, crashed

Sat, Nov 07 2009

Breaking News: Football playoff matchups set November 06, 2009 11:44 pm

Published: March 04, 2009 11:22 pm

Plane stolen, crashed

Suspect in custody after setting aircraft down in wooded area

By Rich Flowers News Editor

3-4 Plane stolen, crashed near Athens
Uploaded by newspaperathens

A 28-year-old Brownsboro man is in the Henderson County Jail after he reportedly stole a plane from Athens Municipal Airport Wednesday morning and crashed it into a wooded area near U.S. Highway 175 east.

Joshua P. Calhoun was treated for minor injuries at East Texas Medial Center Athens, then booked into jail on a charge of theft of property over $200,000. He was awaiting arraignment Wednesday afternoon.

Athens Police Department Lt. Mike Davis said dispatch received a call from the airport shortly after 9 a.m. reporting suspicious activity. The caller said a man had driven a pick-up into the airport, parked near the Bonanza Low Wing aircraft and got inside. Airport officials quickly checked with the owner of the plane and discovered that he had not given anyone permission to fly it.

Although there was no report of a plane crash, authorities began to search the area to try to locate the Bonanza.

A pilot from Dyson Aviation began flying circles in the area and located the Bonanza just beyond an open area in some trees.

Calhoun had flown about 2.3 miles before the plane went down near the old Powder River building north of U.S. Highway 175, Davis said.

The plane apparently clipped some limbs on the way in, doing some damage to the aircraft, and landed with its body upright. The plane was a total loss, Davis said.

Davis said Calhoun went back to the airport in an attempt to get back into his pickup and drive away. Witnesses said he may have caught a ride with a motorist. Once Calhoun arrived at the airport, he was arrested by Patrolman Chad Walker without incident.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers secured the crash scene. The Federal Aviation Administration will also investigate the crash.

Photos

A emergency official helps investigate the scene of an airplane crash in a rural area near U.S. Highway 175 east on Wednesday morning. Lauren Ricks/Athens Review/ (Click for larger image)