White Oak Man Killed in Wood County Ultralight Crash

MINEOLA — A White Oak man was killed Thursday morning during an aviation accident involving a single-engine ultralight aircraft in Wood County. According to Wood County Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Selman, at around 8:15am, the ultralight crashed and burned just off the runway at the Wisener Field municipal airport in Mineola. According to KETK, Dwayne “Dee” Hawkins, 49, of White Oak, was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Judge Wes Criddle. Selman says Hawkins was out on a flight and had just taken off when it appeared a gust of wind interrupted his ascent and he clipped a tree. The ultralight then plummeted to the ground and burned.

Due to the accident occurring off the runway, the airport is still open. Multiple local agencies responded to the scene and are still investigating the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified, but it is unclear if they too will investigate because the aircraft is not a plane and does not have a registered tail number.