Three people were fatally injured Sunday evening when a single-engine plane attempting an emergency landing crashed in a residential area of San Antonio.

Gerald Tracy with WOAI-TV reports that the crash occurred around 6:30 PM Sunday as the pilot was trying to make it to San Antonio International Airport. The plane instead crashed down in the 600 block of West Rhapsody Drive.

Unfortunately, the two men and one woman aboard were killed. If there's a silver lining, it's that no drivers, pedestrians, or nearby residents were hurt.

I don't know what happened in that cockpit, but it appears that the pilot did all they could to avoid harming anyone else as the plane went down. That's commendable.

Emilie Eaton with the San Antonio Express News reports that the plane took off from Sugar Land and was headed to Boerne when the pilot reported engine trouble. Emergency responders were awaiting the plane at San Antonio International, but diverted when the plane came well short of the runway.

Officials searched a 20-block radius to ensure no debris such as engine parts were thrown from the plane. The NTSB and FAA are partnering with other agencies to investigate.

KSAT-TV's Fares Sabawi reports that the plane was a Piper PA-24-250, which seats four. It was owned by Austin-based RTW Capital LLC.

The crash remained under investigation Monday morning.

It hurts my heart to see three people lose their lives so suddenly and so short of what may have ended up being a successful emergency landing, but I'm thankful that no buildings or cars were hit. More lives might have been lost.

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