Teen Escapes Fiery Plane Crash That Left Parents Dead

A teen’s survival is being called a miracle after he managed to make his way out of the wreckage [...]

By Allison Schonter

A teen's survival is being called a miracle after he managed to make his way out of the wreckage of a crashed plane in Detroit.

A 17-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after he survived a fiery plane crash that resulted in the deaths of his father and stepmother.

Video captured just moments after the Cessna 210 came down in a Detroit neighborhood on Sunday night shows the 17-year-old, who has not been named, rolling out of the plane's wreckage that is fully engulfed in flames. The boy was able to make his escape thanks to the help of Cordell Owens, who heard the crash and cut a hole in the wreckage with an axe.

"The plane crashed and we start running towards it and it was a small plane and the flames were out of control, it started burning and the gentleman in the plane started hollering and screaming, and that was when I went to work," Owens told WXYZ. "I feel real good about it. I don't feel like a hero, but it is something that I had to do."

The 17-year-old was transported to a hospital in critical condition, reportedly suffering from smoke inhalation and burns to his back and hands.

The teen's father, 54-year-old Greg Boaz, and his stepmother, 48-year-old Julie Boaz, did not survive the crash. The Lone Star Grill, a restaurant in Houston that Greg owned, made the announcement on their Facebook page.

"For those who have not heard, Lone Star Grill owner Greg Boaz and his wife Julie died in a plane crash on Sunday night. Greg's 17-year-old son is in critical condition in a Detroit area hospital with his mother Jaime by his side," the statement read. "We are honoring Greg's memory by re-opening the restaurant and continuing business as usual starting tomorrow (Tuesday, June 26), as he would want us to do. We appreciate your continued prayers and support for the Boaz family, Lone Star Grill family and Palapas family as we move forward after this tragic event."

The family had been traveling to watch Boaz's daughter's volleyball competition and had departed from Arkansas just before 4 p.m., Click 2 Houston reports. According to Air Safety investigator Andrew Todd Fox, the flight seemed routine, though as the small aircraft entered Detroit and prepared for landing, Greg, the pilot, reported an issue with his landing gear. Greg circled back to the airport and reported that he was low on fuel. At around 8 p.m., the plane crashed.

Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the incident.

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