Hicks Airfield

History

Facilities and aircraft

Accidents and incidents

• 20 July 2005: A Mooney M20J, registration number N5670M, executed a series of "erratic" maneuvers culminating in a "knife-edge drop" while flying near the airport; the aircraft then leveled off at very low altitude and maneuvered to miss two nearby houses before crashing in the yard between them. The crash and post-crash fire killed the pilot and both passengers, destroyed the aircraft, and caused minor injuries to a person on the ground. Investigators found no significant anomalies in the engine, propeller, or flight controls, nor any signs that the pilot was incapacitated or physically impaired. The accident was attributed to "The pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons while maneuvering."
• 26 December 2005: A Boeing A75N1 biplane, registration number N67195, lost engine power during a steep climb to reenter the airfield traffic pattern after a touch-and-go landing; as the pilot maneuvered to avoid obstacles, the aircraft went into a spin and crashed southeast of the departure end of Runway 14. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the pilot was seriously injured, and the single passenger was killed. The accident was attributed to "The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the low altitude maneuver."