A mother-of-three was killed by the wing of a plane while she was riding a lawnmower.
Samantha Hayes, 27, was mowing the grass at a small airport in Oklahoma when the 1972 Bananza A36 hit her.
Pilot James Baxter, 70, was preparing to land on the runway at Broken Bow Airport when he noticed Hayes, on her mower in the field.
Baxter made an attempt to pull up the aircraft to get over the young mum, but fatally struck her in the head with the wing of the plane, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Hayes was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident due to head injuries, according to authorities.
It’s unclear whether Hayes worked at Broken Bow, which is believed to be a sparsely populated municipal airport with no air traffic control.
On Facebook, Hayes was remembered as a loving friend and devoted mother to her three children.
“Samantha Hayes was a wonderful great mom to her three babies,” wrote one friend. “She was a single mum who worked hard to give them a safe and loving home.
“These babies knew they were loved every day all day!” wrote one friend. “Them babies will know how much their momma loved them.”
Another friend wrote: “You were one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, I’ve never heard you say a cuss word or talk down on anyone. You was so full of life and had a whole life ahead of you with your precious babies.”
Baxter, the pilot, was not injured. The FAA has no age limits for people to fly planes, though commercial airlines are banned from employing anyone over the age of 65.
No further information has been revealed about Baxter and no charges have been filed against him. The incident remains under investigation.
