WALLER COUNTY, Texas—Authorities are still trying to track down the missing pilot of a pot-filled plane that made a hard landing at a small airport in Brookshire Monday night.
The twin-engine aircraft made an unscheduled landing at Houston Executive Airport, located at 1900 Cardiff Road, around 7:15 p.m. Investigators said there was no communication with the tower and no mayday was ever called.
Investigators said it appears the plane’s front nose gear was damaged or missing. The nose went down on the air field, then skidded off into the grass.
The pilot was gone by the time emergency crews arrived to the field, but there was cargo left inside – as much as 100 pounds of marijuana, according to authorities.
Investigators said it appears whoever was aboard tried to carry the bricks of marijuana off the plane, but bolted and left the drugs behind.
Multiple law enforcement agencies began a manhunt to find the suspect or suspects who were on the plane, but came up empty-handed.
"We were assisted by HPD, DPS and even HPD Fox Unit assisted us using their night vision in an attempt to locate the individuals, but no sign of them," said Chief Deputy John Kremmer, Waller County Sheriff’s Office.
Even though the airport is "in the middle of nowhere," whoever was on the plane made a fast getaway.
"They had a few minutes head start and with cell phones these days, they could have called someone to come pick them up," Chief Kremmer said.
Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith said the plane’s original owner died several months ago and his family recently sold the plane at auction.
Authorities would only say the new owner is from a southern state to the east of Texas. They said the new owner had flown to the Houston Executive Airport before.
Andrew Perry, the executive director of Houston Executive Airport said, "I believe last weekend or something like that, [it] had been through here. A day or two before, bought some fuel and took off. That’s common."
Perry added corporate planes are not required to have a flight plan, but the pilots must communicate with the airport before they land.
"We do know for a fact they did not have permission to land at the time," Smith said. "It obviously was an emergency landing or they planned on setting down and taking right back off."
Authorities have different theories as to why the plane returned to the Houston airport.
"He could have been flying, dumping bundles too, with no intentions of landing," Smith said. "Of course, past experience has told us that. We’re going to have other planes and other helicopters start flying the area, in circular motions some five to 10 miles out checking pastures."
