Cause of East Texas Plane Crash Investigated

JACKSONVILLE – A student pilot has been killed in a crash at the Cherokee County Airport. Dead is Debra Sue Birch, 60, of Jacksonville, a retired teacher. She died after her single engine plane hit the top of an airport hanger and crashed into the building around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. The woman, who was making only her second solo flight, was working on touch and go landings when the accident occurred. Birch was rushed to East Texas Medical Center in Jacksonville where she died about 2½ hours after the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.