Tennessee church holding prayer as FAA investigates plane crash that killed 4 members

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A Memphis-area church is holding prayer services Wednesday for four of its members who were killed in a plane crash in Texas.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash that killed Harvest Church Executive Pastor Bill Garner, elder Steve Tucker, and members Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer, according to Action News 5 in Memphis.

The crash happened on Tuesday morning outside the town of Yoakum, Texas. A single-engine aircraft, a Piper-46-350P, was carrying five passengers who were all members of the church.

Lead Pastor Dr. Kennon Vaughan was able to pull himself from the plane and remains in a Victoria, Texas, hospital in stable condition. Harvest Church posted on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon that his brain and spine are "clear" and he is breathing on his own.

"As we continue to pray and intercede on behalf of the loved ones in our church family, we want to open our Chapel for prayer," Harvest Church posted on its website.

Harvest Church is located in Germantown, Tenn., a suburb of Memphis.

The plane crashed about a mile away from Lavaca County Airport in an open field when it was preparing to land, Sgt. San Miguel, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, told Action News 5.

Tucker was the owner of the plane, which was built in 2008, according to the Victoria Advocate.