Tragic death of a 27‑year-old. She died mowing the lawn
Although this tragic story sounds almost absurd, sadly it really happened. A 27-year-old woman named Samantha died while mowing the grass at a small airport. She was hit by the wing of a landing airplane. The young woman left behind three orphaned children.
Oct 3, 2023 | updated: 9:00 AM EDT, October 5, 2023
A horrific incident occurred last Friday (September 29) in the town of Broken Bow in the state of Oklahoma. 27-year-old Samantha Hayes worked in the department responsible for maintaining city greenery and was mowing the lawn at a small airport that day.
Tragedy at the airport
It was a day like any other, nothing foreshadowed tragedy. Around 3:30 PM, the light tourist airplane Beechcraft Bonanza A36 approached for landing. Then scenes straight out of a nightmare unfolded.
The pilot, 70-year-old James Baxter, noticed Hayes and tried to lift the machine to avoid hitting her, but was unable to gain speed fast enough. The wing fatally hit the woman in the head - reported "The Post" Sarah Stewart, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
Samantha died on the spot. She left behind three young children. The young woman's family can't believe in this sudden and senseless loss.
She was a single mom who worked hard to provide them with a safe and loving home! These children knew they were loved every day, all day long! - wrote one of the deceased's friends, Darlene Tadleigh, on Facebook.
The airplane pilot was not injured and so far no charges have been brought against him. The exact circumstances of the tragic incident are being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
As reported by "The Post", Broken Bow Airport has an asphalt runway that is 900 meters long. The facility does not have air traffic controllers, which means that pilots announce their landings and takeoffs over the radio themselves.
