Authorities: 3 killed in rural West Texas small plane crash

Authorities say three people were killed when a small plane crashed in rural West Texas as the pilot tried to return to an airport because of an electrical problem

ABILENE, Texas —
Three people were killed when a plane crashed Thursday in a rural area of West Texas as the pilot tried to return to an airport because of an electrical problem, authorities said.

Authorities said all three people aboard the plane died, but have not released their names.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the twin-engine Beechcraft BE20 Super King Air disappeared from air traffic radar just before 6 a.m. while trying to return to Abilene Regional Airport. He said the pilot had reported having an electrical problem.

Lunsford said the FAA notified local authorities to search for the plane.

Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Fred Biddle said responders on the ground reached the crash site west of Lake Coleman at about 10 a.m. The lake is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of the airport.

Biddle said the site was difficult to reach because of rough terrain and muddy roads. He said helicopters helped with the search.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.