Pearland-bound flight went off the radar Wednesday in west Harris County, authorities say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man and woman are believed to have been the passengers killed during a plane crash in west Harris County.

The downed plane was found wrecked and mangled in a wooded area on Thursday at about 1 p.m. The aircraft found appears to be the same one that officials said they lost contact with the night before.

DPS said Piper PA-28 Cherokee took off Wednesday night at 7:50 p.m. from West Houston Airport and was headed to Pearland. Radar lost the aircraft's signal at about 8 p.m., but don't believe it was a mayday.

After losing the signal, airport officials said they went out searching for the plane but had visibility issues due to thick fog.

At the scene, DPS said they found the man had been ejected from the plane and the woman was still in the plane. While authorities did not release much information on the man, they said the woman had pink toenails, long hair and rings on her hands.

According to DPS, the significant damage on the plane leads authorities to believe the man and woman died on impact.