A young pilot died in a plane crash Wednesday after he ignored air traffic control’s instructions and decided to “fly east”, officials said.
Logan Timothy James’ last conversation with the traffic controller was recorded just before he crashed a Cessna 172 Skyhawk into a field into a field near Telephone, Texas.
The 23-year-old was allowed to use the plane for a practice flight maneuver when he stole it at around 7 p.m. and decided to fly away.
“I’m climbing up through a few clouds and then just gonna head outside of everything,” James, who was issued a private pilot certification in late December, said.
“And about right now you’ll probably realize that I’m not gonna listen to ya’ll’s instructions and I’m just heading to East Texas.”
Officials said James flew east then north toward the Texas-Oklahoma border before crashing into a field.
James died in the crash. The motive behind his behavior remains a mystery.
The late pilot’s father described him as “a wonderful son, with a gentle and loving spirit.”
