Plane Crash In Brazoria County Of Texas Kills 2

A plane crash Tuesday in Brazoria County of Texas killed two people onboard, local authorities said. The crash occurred at about 10 a.m. in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge along the coast of Texas, the Associated Press reported.

The single-engine Piper PA-32-300 aircraft was northbound through Brazoria County, located about 10 miles from Lake Jackson city, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) told local news networks. The plane took a nose dive and crashed, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reportedly said.

There were only two people onboard the plane. The deceased pilot was reportedly identified as David Leining, 63, of Santa Fe city, New Mexico. He was also the owner of the aircraft. The passenger who died in the crash was identified as Robert Mena, 57, of League City, Texas. He was a retired sergeant with the state public safety department, Houston Chronicle reported.

A passerby saw the debris of the crashed plane and informed the authorities, FAA officials reportedly said. "Once we arrived at the scene, we secured the bodies and recovered them," Stephen Woodard, a DPS Trooper, told the Chronicle. "From there, we turned it over to the FAA."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash.