DALLAS -
The pilot of a small plane was killed in a crash in Kaufman County.
Michael Payne's Starduster SA-300 went down Monday afternoon in a field near Terrell. Witnesses reported he had been performing an acrobatic maneuver just before the crash.
A woman who lived nearby says she heard the low-flying plane go over her house. She went outside and found what was left of the aircraft.
"It was just fire, just a lot of fire and ash," Sharon Hornage said. "I saw a piece of a wing off to the side, but the wreckage was just on fire, so you couldn't distinguish anything to see if there was someone in there or not."
Payne's family said he was a loving father and real estate agent who enjoyed the thrill of flying.
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Department, Terrell Fire Department and Department of Public Safety are all investigating.
