Perry, on campaign trail, reacts to Austin plane crash

Dallas Morning News
Feb. 18, 2010

Austin Bureau chief Christy Hoppe, who is traveling with Gov. Rick Perry as he campaigns, reports that Perry just took a moment in Sugar Land to make a statement about the plane crash in Austin.

Perry said he was trying to be very cautious with information and was still finding out details himself. But "anytime you have an aircraft that hits a building particularly after 9/11, there is always great speculation about how or why that occurred."

"Our hope is that the days of flying aircraft into buildings or some structure is over," Perry said. "But you always have some exposure in a free society."

The governor appeared to be getting updates by e-mail from his homeland security and emergency preparedness officials. He also appeared to take a long phone briefing before his appearance at the Sugar Land Chamber of Commerce.

Perry told Hoppe afterward the pilot is thought to be local to Austin. Some initial reports suggested he might have come from Waco.