A 23-year-old who reportedly stole a plane from a Dallas, Texas, pilot school made an ominous call before he crashed and died Wednesday.
Logan James of North Carolina allegedly stole a Cessna 172 Skylark from the ATP Flight School at the Addison Airport Wednesday night, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, CBS News Texas reported. Authorities later found James, a private pilot certified ATP student, dead at the scene, the outlet reported.
The plane took off from Addison Airport at 6:54 a.m., according to the Town of Addison. The plane first flew east, then north, passing Sulphur Springs and Paris, flight tracker ADS-B Exchange shows. The aircraft crashed in an open field around 8:26 p.m. nine miles northeast of Telephone, Texas, DPS said, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Video Shows Massive Fireball As Plane Allegedly Transporting 65 POWs Crashes: REPORT)
Logan James flew out to East Texas where he knew he wouldn’t injure or kill any innocent people. 🥺🥀
My heart is broken for his family.Suicide is never the answer. Talk to someone if you’re struggling. People can help you figure things out. 🤍https://t.co/GpyKfKcnbV
— Black Beth Dutton 🥃 (@Oh_Katie_Babie) January 26, 2024
Throughout the flight, James reportedly ignored the instructions of the tower controller as he flew toward East Texas. Radio transmissions obtained by the outlet reveal James talking with the tower controller before he was cut off and stopped responding.
“I’m going to pull the comm 1 circuit breaker and the comm 2 circuit breaker right here soon, as soon as I unkey the mic –” James said, according to the audio. (RELATED: Video Shows Massive Fireball As Plane Allegedly Transporting 65 POWs Crashes: REPORT)
The Addison Police Department launched an investigation seeking whether the plane was stolen, according to the outlet. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board launched investigations of the incident as well.
James started his training at the flight school in June 2023, the outlet reported. He planned to become a commercial airline pilot, according to his father, who described him as “a wonderful son, with a gentle and loving spirit.”