SAN ANTONIO – Neighbors on the city's Northwest Side had a big scare Thursday morning after a part of a U.S. Air Force C-17 fell in a San Antonio man's backyard.
It happened around 8 a.m. in the 6500 block of Spring Hurst Drive.
Robert Coultress-Rodriguez said he was walking his friend home when they saw something drop out of the sky.
"We saw something drop off from the plane," said Coultress-Rodriguez. "And shortly after, we heard a loud bang."
Nate Martinez said he was inside his home when he heard a large scraping sound and saw a few frames get knocked off the wall.
However, when he went to check it out, he never thought he would find a portion of a plane in his yard.
"I looked outside," said Martinez. "I kind of looked all the way around and I was surprised to see an aircraft part there. It was a little surprising."
Peter P. Pedraza, a spokesman for Boeing, released this statement Thursday afternoon:
"Boeing is investigating the cause of an in-flight mishap that occurred earlier today involving a U.S. Air Force C-17 near San Antonio, Texas. Our highest priority is the safety and well being of those in the community and the passengers and crewmembers who fly aboard Boeing airplanes. We will continue to share information as the investigation progresses."
Martinez's girlfriend, Melissa Gutierrez, who also lives in the house with Martinez, said her two young children are always outside playing in the backyard, where the 5-foot-by-5-foot piece fell.
Gutierrez said they didn't get any answers from military personnel when she called to report it Thursday morning, but military investigators did show up later that afternoon to pick up the plane piece.
"It's very scary," said Gutierrez. "It's pretty sad that they don't want to share information. It could have (hurt our children). That's what we are worried about. We're out here a lot barbecuing and it landed on our barbecue pit."
There have been no reported injuries in connection with this incident, but the neighborhood was cordoned off as a precaution until investigators picked up the piece.