Family, friend mourns after 3 die in plane crash

HOUSTON – Brandon Pierce lives in Cypress, but has known the Gray family for more than a decade.

"I had a bad feeling it was probably them," Pierce said.

He was especially close to Tony and Dana Gray. He knew they had a plane and often flew to Houston.

When he heard about the crash today near Hobby Airport, he immediately sent Tony a text that read "Hey bro...your wife isn't in Houston is she? Please tell me no."

Sadly, there was no reply. 

The news of their death is still sinking in.

They leave behind large families who are devastated and dealing with this news from hundreds of miles away. 

"It's a sad thing knowing they're going to leave all those kids behind," Pierce said.

The plane was attempting to land at Hobby Airport.

Witnesses say they heard the engine sputtering in the final moments of the flight.

Flowers were placed at the crash site and prayers were said for Tony, his wife Dana and his brother Jerry. 

The plane remains in the Ace Hardware parking lot, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

It's still unclear what caused the crash.