POOLVILLE, Texas — The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report detailing how a father and his two sons died in a plane crash last month in Parker County.
Dr. Heath Smith, a 40-year-old surgeon of Wise County, and his two sons were fatally injured in the crash at about 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, the report states, when the small plane was involved in an accident near Poolville.
Noah was 6, and Wyatt was 8.
The report states the Cessna 310R departed the Carrizo Springs Airport (CZT) just before 11 a.m. and was heading to Bridgeport Municipal Airport (XBP).
Before Smith took off he received an electronic weather briefing detailing moderate icing between the two airports, according to the NTSB report. It also states the weather briefing included light rime ice in the Dallas/Fort Worth area between 4,000 and 6,000 feet.
"The pilot was flying in instrument meteorological conditions and according to Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, the airplane was descending from an altitude of 7,000ft when the accident occurred," the report states.
The plane then hit trees and terrain about 13 miles from XBP. Debris from the crash littered about 400 yards across the wooded area.
Two distinct sets of propeller strikes, one from the left-hand propeller and one from the right were found destroyed. Several large tree trunks were also clipped during the crash, according to the report.
The left propeller was still attached at the flange, and the left engine was found in a pond about 40 feet away from the debris, the report concludes.
Smith is survived by his wife and 11-year-old son. The pair were not on the plane due to a math and science competition that was being held at school that weekend.
