Eyewitness reported seeing a huge ball of fire in the sky moments before the small plane crashed. Angleton police got the first call around 7:40pm. Bates Park, which is right across the street from the elementary school, was packed with people for a softball tournament. An eyewitness told a city official what they heard from the park.
"The reports that we heard that they saw a large ball of what looked like to be some type of fire and they heard some kind of a loud boom," said Assistant City Manager Patti Worfe.
Authorities identified the pilot as 63-year-old Arthur Hale. He was awake and talking when he was pulled from the wreckage. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He is listed in serious but stable condition.
The cause is under investigation. The FAA will launch an investigation to determine exactly what happened.
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