Surgeon and his two young children killed in plane crash

A Texas surgeon and his two young children were killed in a plane crash on Sunday, Jan. 14.

Dr. Heath Smith and his two kids, 6 and 8, died when the small aircraft crashed in a pasture in Parker County near the town of Poolville, the Texas Department of Safety told the Wise County Messenger.

Smith, who served on his local school board, was piloting a twin-engine Cessna C310 airplane which took off from Dimmit County just before 11 a.m. It was scheduled to land in Bridgeport at 12:20 p.m., according to Flight Aware.

Sadly, the plane never arrived at its destination.

Instead, it crashed down at around 1:15 p.m. and all three were pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck, the local paper reported.

The father and his children were the only ones aboard the Cessna.

Smith, a bariatric surgeon for Wise Health System, was the vice president of the Paradise Independent School District — a position he held since 2020.

The district’s superintendent confirmed his and his children’s death to CBS News Texas.

“Our hearts are devastated for the Smith family,” said Will Brewer, the superintendent of Paradise ISD. “Words cannot fully express the grief that we feel for their loss. The tragedy that this family has endured is unimaginable.”

Smith was first elected to the school board in November 2017 and won re-election in 2023.

“Dr. Smith was a vital part of our school district as an alumnus, parent, and board member,” Brewer said. “He was passionate about his love for Paradise ISD and his impact on students and staff will be long lasting. Please keep the Smith family in your prayers.”

It’s unclear what caused the deadly wreck. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.