WWII Plane Crash: Texas Plane Crash Kills Man Taking Flight to Celebrate 41st Wedding Anniversary
A vintage WWII plane has crashed on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic death of two men.
The pilot and a paying passenger, who was celebrating his 41st wedding anniversary, died when the WWII 9-51 Mustang crashed in Galveston Bay, Texas, according to AP.
The pilot has been named as 51-year-old Keith Hibbet.
John Stephen Busby, 66, has been named as the passenger who was killed in the crash. He was visiting from the United Kingdom.
Busby and his wife traveled to Texas to celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary. He had paid nearly $2,000 for the fatal flight in the vintage Mustang.
The plane reportedly went down in water about 4 feet deep.
The plane was operated by the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston and the pilot was not in contact with air traffic controllers at the time of the crash, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford.
The P-51 Mustang was built in 1944. The museum's website states: "The P-51 is regarded by many as the most effective fighter aircraft produced during World War II. Known for its maneuverability, speed and range, the P-51 quickly made an impact over the skies of Germany by providing essential fighter escort to American bombers along their entire route.
"The LSFM P-51 Mustang is painted in the markings of Galveston Gal, an aircraft assigned to the 359th Fighter Group flown by Galveston native Ray Lancaster. This P-51 was converted to a two-seat, dual control TF-51 while serving in the El Salvadoran Air Force in the 1960s."
The cause of the crash has not been determined yet and FAA authorities are still investigating the tragic accident.
