Henry County family killed in Texas plane crash

Print
E-mail

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The single-engine plane that crashed in Texas and killed five family members was flying through rain and lightning at the time. But investigators said Tuesday the cause of the crash had not been determined.

Enlarge photo

The crash site of a single-engine airplane is seen Monday night, Dec. 19, 2011 in northeastern Brazos County, Texas. The crash killed five people, including two children. The flight originated in Atlanta, stopped in Jackson, Miss., and was headed for Waco, Texas, when it crashed in a field north of Bryan and College Station.

Dave McDermand, AP The crash site of a single-engine airplane is seen Monday night, Dec. 19, 2011 in northeastern Brazos County, Texas. The crash killed five people, including two children. The flight originated in Atlanta, stopped in Jackson, Miss., and was headed for Waco, Texas, when it crashed in a field north of Bryan and College Station.

Channel 2 Action News Brooke Butler was killed in the Dec. 20, 2011 plane crash.

More Atlanta area news »

The five family members, including four from Henry County, were killed instantly Monday night when the plane went down near Waco, Texas, investigators said.

Four crash victims, all from Stockbridge, were identified as Michael D. Butler, 33, his 34-year-old wife, Kelly, and two children, 14-year-old daughter, Brooke, and 2-year-old son, Braden, according to Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Also killed was the Michael Butler's brother, David S. Butler, 37, of Mount Calm, Texas.

Investigators believe Michael Butler was piloting the plane, which left Monday afternoon from Tara Field in Henry County, then stopped in Jackson, Miss., for supplies and was going to Waco when it encountered bad weather. The plane crashed in a field north of Bryan and College Station. A nearby resident called 911 to report the crash.

The pilot of the Piper Saratoga radioed the tower shortly before crashing around 10 p.m. Central Time in a rural area about an hour from Waco.

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were at the crash scene Tuesday and flew over the area in a helicopter, following a similar flight plan to the aircraft that crashed. It could take up to a year to determine the official cause of the crash.

Brazos County Police Sgt. Charles Booker arrived on the scene within an hour of the crash, which scattered debris further than two miles. Booker said Brooke Butler was ejected from the plane and thrown 50 feet.

Brooke Butler attended Union Grove High School, where she was a cheerleader for the JV basketball team. Friends of the teenager created a Facebook group in her honor Tuesday.

At the Butler family's home in Stockbridge, a Christmas tree with white lights glowed through a front window Tuesday evening. Friends outside the home declined to comment about the family.

- The Associated Press contributed to this article.