A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals new information about the small plane crash at Eagle Mountain Lake that killed a North Richland Hills man.
Around 12:40 p.m. on Oct. 7, the Tarrant Regional Water District received a call about the single-engine plane crashing into the north end of Eagle Mountain Lake and sinking into the water, district spokesperson Chad Lorance told the Star-Telegram.
The pilot, 60-year-old Stephen Lee Spence, died in the accident. He was the only person on board the plane, officials said.
Spence took off in his Champion 7EC from the privately owned Flying Oaks Airport near Fort Worth on a local flight. His family told investigators he was planning to land at an unknown location for lunch and then head back to the airport, according to the report. No flight plan was filed.
Weather conditions were clear that day, and would have allowed Spence to fly in visual meteorological conditions, the report states.
Security video footage obtained from private property on the shore of Eagle Mountain Lake shows the plane gradually descend at a 45-degree angle, according to the report. The body of the plane was structurally intact before it hit the water.
The plane came to rest nose down in the lake in about 10 feet of water, the report states. Both wings and the fuselage sustained major damage.
The plane’s wreckage was taken to a secure location for examination, according to the report. Part of the engine and the right wing were not recovered from the lake.
The preliminary report did not make a determination about what caused the crash, and the investigation is continuing.
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Spence held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, according to the report. He purchased the Champion 7EC in November 2004 and was issued his most recent medical certificate from the FAA in December 2008.
According to his obituary, Spence “had two great passions in his life: his family and aviation. From a very young age, Steve built many types of model airplanes, a hobby he shared with his dad and later with his sons. Steve competed in local, national, and even international flying competitions.”
Spence worked at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth for more than 20 years.
As a fan of the Dallas Stars hockey team, he regularly flew the blimp during games, according to his obituary.
“If it had wings, Steve could fly it,” the obituary reads. “If it didn’t have wings, Steve could build them, attach them, and fly them as well.”
Spence is survived by family including his wife, Starr Spence, and two sons, Michael and Jonathan.
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