Nacogdoches County man killed in paramotor trike crash

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - A Nacogdoches County man died Sunday from injuries sustained in an aircraft crash. Thomas Wayne Smith, 63, and three other individuals were flying paramotor trikes in the area Sunday evening, when Smith crashed, according to a post from the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office. Smith was the last of the three pilots to launch, and it appears he crashed shortly after taking off, the post said. The other pilots were not in the area when the crash occurred. A paramotor trike is a three-wheeled vehicle attached to a paraglider which uses a fan to fly. Deputies, firefighters, state troopers and EMS personnel were dispatched to the 3200 block of CR 106 at about 7 p.m. Smith, who was the only person in his vehicle, was taken to a local hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries, the sheriff’s office reported. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified about the crash and is investigating.