Witness reports:
Witnesses said the plane hit a highway light pole along the Beltway on the city's south side. "There was a loud flash, like lightning—then debris started scattering all about the road," said Jack Kaufman, whose mini-van was pelted by falling objects. "We just barely avoided getting badly hurt."
Video: Witnesses describe what happened
Part of the jet's wing was sheared off by the impact with the light pole.
Kaufman's wife said it looked "like a movie" as the jet careened into a field. "Big pieces of concrete came through the windshield," she said. "We had three children in the car with us; thank God nothing hit them."
The Beltway was littered with debris from the crash and was shut down during the morning rush hour.
Roger Smith, a spokesman for the Houston Airport System, said while visibility was not ideal at the time of the crash, all operations at Hobby Airport were normal.
"The pilot of this plane was talking with the personnel in the [control] tower," Smith said. "At no time did the pilot say he was in distress." An alert was issued after the tower lost contact with the pilot.
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