A small airplane crash Wednesday night in Fannin County resulted in the death of the pilot. The plane had just been stolen from the airport in Addison.
Texas Department of Public Safety investigators say 23-year-old Logan Timothy James of Stokesdale, North Carolina, was the pilot. Officials say a single-engine Cessna 172 was taken from the ATP Flight School at Addison Airport. From there, the plane was flown more than 80 miles northeast before crashing in far northeastern Fannin County, close to the Lamar County line. The plane went down at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday about 9 miles northeast of Telephone. It landed not far from County Road 2180 and Farm-to-Market Road 79 between the towns of Telephone and Direct. Law enforcement identified the pilot Thursday and said he was alone in the plane.
Officials say it's not known whether the pilot radioed for help before the crash. Addison Airport confirmed to media that the plane left the airport at 6:53 p.m. Wednesday. He was recorded telling Addison air traffic control that he was disregarding their instructions and was headed to East Texas. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident.
