Maricopa man hurt in Okla. plane crash

Maricopa resident John Henry Escalante, 34, and Terry L. Miel, 55, of Phoenix, were involved in a minor plane crash Tuesday in Oklahoma, according to an online article published in NewsOK.

The two were flying in a 1967 Mooney M20F at approximately 3:20 p.m. at the Hooker Municipal Airport when the plane lost power after taking off and crashed approximately 300 yards east of the runway.

Shawn York, editor of the Guymon Daily Herald who reported on the crash from the scene, said the plane crashed in a freshly sown wheat field. 

“If (the pilot) had continued straight he would’ve come down on the highway,” York said, explaining that the Hoover Airport is on the west side of the city and far removed from any residential areas. 

Miel, who piloted the plane, was treated for internal and arm injuries. 

Escalante was taken to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo via Medi-Flight and is listed in critical condition, according to the Guymon Daily Herald. 

The FAA has been notified and is reportedly investigating.