Millionaire bankers die in private plane fireball: Tragedy as plane carrying brokers on business trip plummets to the ground after take-off in Texas

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Millionaire bankers die in private plane fireball: Tragedy as plane carrying brokers on business trip plummets to the ground after take-off in Texas

A private plane carrying three men working for a Utah bank crashed in mysterious circumstances shortly after takeoff in Texas on Saturday, killing all three aboard, according to authorities.


The Piper PA-46 aircraft had just taken off from an airport near Paris, Texas, around 8 a.m. when it came crashing down outside the town of Glory to the south.

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the men as Michael Endo, 50, Michael Dale Bradley, 44, and the pilot Rob Thompson, 49, according to a report in the The Desert News.

All three men worked for Utah-based Celtic Bank, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.


'This is a challenging and difficult time for the entire Celtic Bank family,' bank CEO Reese Howell Jr. said in a statement.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. The Public Safety Department said it was reportedly foggy and the plane attempted to turn back toward the airport before descending rapidly and crashing.

The plane burst into flames upon impact, FAA spokesman Roland Herwig told the Tribune.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Public Safety didn't immediately return calls from The Associated Press for comment.

Its was not clear if the pilot had radioed for assistance prior to the crash, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said, according to the Tribune report.

NTSB investigators were gathering evidence from the crash site, any witnesses and data radar data to determine why the plane crashed, he said.

The FAA radar lost contact with the plane 10-miles south of Paris. Lamar County Sheriff's Deputies found the wreckage a short time later.

'The investigator has been reviewing and conducting the physical inspection of the aircraft. The investigator will also request radar data, check for any air traffic control communications, review weather reports and check for any witness accounts,' National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said in a statement Sunday.

The NTSB will continue to collect factual information in for the next few days, he said, noting the cause of the crash may not be known for months.

'It usually takes 12 to 18 months before we have a final report that states a probable cause,' the statement said.

The aircraft was completely destroyed in the resulting fire. The bodies of three people were found on board.

The deceased were taken to the Collin County Medical Examiner's Office.

Its was not clear Saturday whether the pilot had radioed for assistance prior to the crash, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said.

NTSB investigators were gathering evidence from the crash site, any witnesses and data radar data to determine why the plane crashed, he said.

According to a bank press release, Bradley was a real estate broker working with Celtic on the sale of some property in Texas. Endo was the bank's senior vice president and a commercial loan officer.

Thompson was a professional pilot contracted by Celtic to fly the company's plane.

The bank issued a statement Sunday afternoon saying it did not have any additional information. 'We would ask that you please respect their privacy in these tragic and very difficult times,' said spokesman James Roberts.