Family of 4 from Plano, Dallas couples among 10 killed in North Texas plane crash
Nine of the 10 people killed in a plane crash north of Dallas on Sunday morning have been identified.
The deaths include a family of four from Plano, two Dallas couples, and two crew members.
John Paul II High School told families of students on Monday that students Alice and Dylan Maritato, 15 and 13, were killed, along with their mother and stepfather, Ornella Ellard and Brian Ellard, 52, according to a report from NBC 5. Alice attended the high school and Dylan was a middle school student at All Saints Catholic School.
Brian Ellard owned an art gallery in Dallas and co-owned Mille Lire, an upscale Italian restaurant, with his brother-in-law, Giuliano Matarese. Ornella Ellard was an interior designer.
Steve Thelen, 58, and his wife, Gina, also died in the crash, according to JLL real estate in Dallas, where Thelen was the managing director.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that took place yesterday,” the company said in a statement. “Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go out to Steve and Gina’s family and friends during this difficult time. Steve was a valued friend and colleague to all of us, personally and professionally. They will both be deeply missed.”
According to a feature in BisNow, Thelen was known for bringing Pizza Hut to Plano in 1995.
Mary Titus and her husband, John, also were among the victims, according to the Tennis Competitors of Dallas, the Star-Telegram’s media partner WFAA-TV reported. Mary Titus served as the mixed league director for Tennis Competitors of Dallas, according to an email sent to the TCD community.
“We are shattered by this loss as I know many of you who knew the involved families are as well,” the email said. “Mary was a true champion for the Mixed League and she loved working with all of you. I cannot tell you how proud I am of all that she has done for TCD and how greatly she will be missed.”
Mathew Palmer, 27, was also listed as one of the people killed in the crash in a press release from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday. Palmer, who lived in Fort Worth, was issued a pilot’s license in 2008, according to FAA records, but details about his involvement in Sunday’s flight haven’t been released.
According to his wife’s Facebook, the two just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary. Palmer’s Facebook says he is a ranch and arena hand at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Fort Worth Stock Show spokesman Matt Brockman said Palmer was a seasonal employee.
“He was a great young man and had a bright future ahead of him,” Brockman said. “We mourn his loss. It’s tragic. We’re going to miss him.”
The medical examiner’s office also confirmed the names of Brian Ellard, Alice and Dylan Maritato, and Steve Thelen after their autopsies were completed Monday.
The 10th victim, another member of the flight crew, has not yet been identified. The medical examiner said names would be released once positive identification is made and families are notified.
The National Transportation Safety Board asked that anyone who witness the crash or has video of it to email them at witness@ntsb.gov.
The crash
The plane crashed into a hangar at Addison Airport shortly after taking off at about 9:10 a.m. Sunday and was destroyed by fire. None of the people on the plane survived. The hangar was unoccupied.
The plane was a twin-engine Beechcraft BE-350 King Air, a spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration said. Officials later said the plane was supposed to fly to St. Petersburg, Florida.
The plane struggled to gain altitude after taking off from the airport. It veered to one side and then plunged into the hangar, local authorities and witnesses said.
Investigators from the FAA and NTSB were investigating the crash Sunday and returned to the hangar on Monday. They said at a news conference Monday that the cause of crash remains under investigation.
Jennifer Rodi, the NTSB’s lead investigator on the accident, told the Associated Press the plane had previously been owned by a private charter company in Chicago.
Todd DeSimone, the general manager of Chicago-based jet charter company Planemasters, said Monday that he sold the plane to a company based in Addison called EE Operations.
No one has responded to a message the AP left at a phone number associated with EE Operations. The company’s agent in Delaware, where EE Operations is registered, said it would forward a request for comment.
FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said Monday that the twin-engine plane’s tail number, N511EF, was registered in April. The FAA registry confirmed that the plane was registered to EE Operations.
This story was originally published July 1, 2019 at 12:14 PM.