A Vicksburg pilot injured when he crash-landed a twin-engine plane Thursday night on the playground of a Cypress, Texas, elementary school is recovering from minor injuries in a Houston hospital, a family friend said Friday.

Pace Boler, 37, a certified commercial pilot, mechanic and instructor, was on his way from Vicksburg to Houston when the Beechcraft Baron 58 he was piloting had mechanical troubles, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Boler attempted to land on a baseball field, but bypassed it after he saw children playing on there. He finally landed on a small piece of land behind the elementary school, the official said.

Texas State Trooper John Sampa said the plane’s right wing was sheared off when the plane clipped a pole and ended up against a fence at the school. He said flying debris caused slight damage to a nearby house. He said Boler did a good job landing the plane.

Attempts to reach Pace Boler or members of his family were unsuccessful.

The plane is owned by United Aviation, a Vicksburg company composed of local businessmen, but attempts to reach anyone with the group were unsuccessful.

“He was my instructor,” Vicksburg Municipal Airport director Curt Folmer said. “He still flies with me when I do my (license) renewals.”

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are in charge of the crash investigation.