UPDATE: MAY 1, 2023, 3:46 PM
Federal authorities have identified a pilot who was injured in a small plane crash last week near La Porte, Texas.
The pilot, Richard Henry Knoll, remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to officials.
Investigators reveal Knoll's plane experienced a mechanical issue and nose-dived into a grassy area just short of the runway at the La Porte Municipal Airport on April 24.
ORIGINAL: APRIL 24, 2023, 12:52 PM
A small plane crashed at La Porte Municipal Airport Monday morning, sending one pilot to the hospital in serious condition.
First Responders were dispatched to La Porte Municipal Airport just after 9 a.m. for reports of a small plane that was approaching the airport when it experienced a mechanical issue and nose-dived into a grassy area just short of the runway.
According to the La Porte Office of Emergency Management (OEM), La Porte firefighters and EMS responded to the crash shortly after and rescued the male pilot from the wreckage. He was transported via Life Flight in critical condition to Memorial Hermann -Texas Medical Center.
Records show the plane is a Maule MXT-7-180 and appears to be registered to a pipeline company based out of Beeville, Texas.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration will continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
