Two Killed In Plane Crash

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

OWASSO, OK - A deadly plane crash leaves family and friends in shock.  The crash killed an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper and his friend.  The twin-engine plane went down west of Owasso, near 112th Street North and Sheridan.

The plane crashed a few minutes before noon.  Trooper Larry Jackson, 49, was flying in his buddy's Cessna aircraft.  That's when witnesses say it began banking heavily to one side and crashed in a field located a mile away from an airstrip.

It's a painful and sudden loss for everyone who knew the victims.

Half of the plane was crushed by the impact.  The Cessna aircraft crashed in Eric Mikel's backyard.

"It was frightening, shocking.  You get all excited.  You have no idea what's happening," said Eric Mikel.

Eric Mikel says he saw something was wrong moments before it happened.

"Just a normal airplane sound, like a regular airplane. The only thing that stood out to me was that it was leaning just a little much from, from the regular airplane turn," said Eric Mikel.

The plane took off from an airfield a mile away from where it crashed.  It made at least one loop before going down.

Both passengers were killed.  The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 55-year-old Harvey Hazelwood owned the aircraft.  But, OHP Captain Larry Jackson was found in the pilot's seat.

Captain Jackson was the executive officer for an Oklahoma Highway Patrol troop in Tulsa.  Before that, he had been an OHP pilot for many years.  But, he no longer flew professionally.

Other troopers say Jackson was a true role model.

"About 14 years ago, I was making a first attempt, and helped guide me through the process, and became a real mentor to me when I started out as a trooper," said OHP Lt. George Brown.

Roy Jones was Jackson's friend and golf partner.

"He died doing what he liked.  He enjoyed doing it, I'm sure.  He was a great person, just a great guy, a highway patrolman," said Roy Jones.

The plane was flying at a low altitude, banking heavily to one side.  The News On 6 has been told that's consistent with engine trouble.  But, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are just getting started on their official investigation.