Love Field
Encyclopedia
Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public-use airport
located 6 miles (10 km, 5 nautical miles) northwest of the central business district
of Dallas, Texas
, United States.
Love Field was the primary airport for Dallas until 1974, when Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
opened. Love Field is now Dallas's secondary airport and serves as a major focus city
for Southwest Airlines
, which has its corporate headquarters on airport grounds. Continental Express
, Delta Connection
, and United Express
also offer service from Love Field.
. It was named after First Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, who died in an airplane crash in San Diego, California
. Love Field was opened to civilian
use in 1927 when the city of Dallas purchased the land with National Air Transport
(forerunner of United Airlines
) starting the first passenger service.
On April 9, 1932, the first paved runways at the airfield were completed.
During World War II
, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces
for flying training, with the Dallas Texas Aviation School providing basic (level 1) flight training, equipped with Fairchild PT-19
s as the primary trainer used. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned. Love Field was also used as a sub-depot of the San Antonio Air Service Command for aircraft overhauls. Air Force facilities were closed at the end of the war in August 1945.
In September 1943, construction was completed on a new north-south runway (18/36) and northwest-southeast runway (13/31). On March 9, 1947, Love Field's Lemmon Avenue Terminal Building opened on the east side of the airfield. The city adopted an amended Master Plan for Love Field in 1948 guiding future expansion.
On November 29, 1949, American Airlines Flight 157
, a Douglas DC-6
en route from New York City to Mexico City
with 46 passengers and crew, slid off Runway 36 after the flight crew lost control on final approach to Love Field for a routine stopover. The airliner struck a parked airplane, a hangar, and a flight school before crashing into a business across from the airport, killing 28. This was the deadliest air disaster in Texas history at the time and, according to modern reference sources, remains the deadliest crash to take place at the airfield itself.
Pioneer Airlines moved its base from Houston to Love Field in 1950.
On March 26, 1952, work was completed to extend Runway 13/31 to its current length of 7,752 ft (2,363 m). Soon afterwards, on June 1, 1954, the east/west crosswind Runway 7/25 was permanently closed; it was later removed to accommodate new terminal construction. This left Love Field with only two runways: Runway 13/31, the longer primary runway, and the shorter Runway 18/36.
Jet-powered operations began on April 1, 1959, when Continental Airlines introduced the Vickers Viscount
turboprop. Turbojet operations began on July 12, 1959, when American Airlines initiated Boeing 707
flights to New York.
The 1960s brought tremendous growth to Love Field. In 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Wyatt made a gift of a large bronze statue bearing the inscription "One Riot, One Ranger" for display in the airport's new terminal. Famed Texas born sculptress Waldine Tauch created the piece. The inscription refers to an incident in which a single Texas Ranger
was dispatched to quell a riot. Beginning October 2010, the "One Riot, One Ranger" statue is temporarily moved for display to the nearby Frontiers of Flight Museum
, until completion of the first phase of airport terminal renovation in early 2013.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy
arrived at Love Field on board Air Force One
, and was assassinated
in Dealey Plaza
while his motorcade was traveling from Love Field to the Dallas Trade Mart. Hours later, Lyndon B. Johnson
was sworn in as president aboard Air Force One before its departure from Love Field.
On April 2, 1965, the 8,800 ft (2,682 m) long parallel Runway 13R/31L was opened to relieve traffic on congested Runway 13/31 (which was renamed Runway 13L/31R). The project had been vexed by extensive legal wrangling; safety concerns were raised regarding its proximity to schools and its minimal safety areas
, while nearby residents attempted to stop the anticipated increase in jet noise and the removal of homes and businesses adjacent to the airport to accommodate the project.
Several terminal expansion programs were fueled by the boom in air travel during the 1960s. American Airlines expanded their concourse in 1968. In the same year, Braniff opened its "Terminal of the Future." The expansion, showcasing Alexander Girard
, Herman Miller
and Ray and Charles Eames designs, featured the first rotunda concourse, jet bridges and several airport innovations. Braniff connected their new terminal to new remote parking lots with the Jetrail
monorail
system in 1970. Texas International expanded their concourse in 1969, and Delta's concourse was expanded in 1970.
In 1972, Love Field was the site of a notable hijacking
incident. On 12 January, Billy Gene Hurst, Jr., a resident of Houston, Texas
, hijacked Braniff Flight 38
, a Boeing 727
airliner, as it departed William P. Hobby Airport
in Houston bound for Dallas. After the plane landed at Love Field, Hurst allowed all 94 passengers to deplane, but continued to hold the 7 crewmembers hostage. Hurst insisted on flying to South America
and made a variety of other demands, including food, cigarettes, parachute
s, jungle survival gear, US $2 million, and a handgun. After a 6-hour standoff, police gave Hurst a package containing parachutes and some other items, and the hostages escaped while he was distracted examining the package's contents. Police officers stormed the craft soon afterwards and arrested him without serious incident. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
With the need for a larger airport, the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
agreed to build Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport (the original name of the current Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport). It was agreed that to protect the new airport, each city would restrict its own passenger-service airports from air-carrier operations.
Southwest Airlines
, founded in 1971 and headquartered at Love Field, built its business on selling quick, no-frills trips between Dallas, Houston
, and San Antonio
. The company felt that the notion of a quick trip would be destroyed by a long drive to the new large airport outside of the city. Prior to the opening of DFW, Southwest Airlines sued for the right to remain at Love Field.
In 1973, the courts ruled that the City of Dallas could not restrict Southwest Airlines from operating out of Love Field, so long as it remained open as an airport. This ruling effectively granted Southwest the right to continue to operate its existing intrastate service out of Love Field. The airlines operating from Love Field at the time DFW was conceived executed agreements with DFW stipulating that no airline could operate at the new airport if it continued to operate any flights out of Love Field. Southwest, created after the other carriers had signed on to the DFW operating agreements, was not a signatory and remained as the only airline operating at Love Field.
Prior to completion of DFW, regularly scheduled service from Love Field included: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Phoenix, Washington, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Cleveland, San Antonio, El Paso and Mexico City (American); Atlanta, New Orleans, Orlando, Shreveport, Birmingham, Jackson, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (Delta); Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Washington, Houston, Austin, Lubbock, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, San Antonio and Mexico City (Braniff International); Midland-Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo, Albuquerque, and El Paso (Continental); New Orleans, Tampa and Miami (Eastern). Trans-Texas Airways provided service to Beaumont-Pt. Arthur, Texarkana, Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Big Spring, Austin, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Amarillo among other locales.
1973 saw Love Field, which contained more than 70 gates and saw frequent Boeing 747
service, reach record enplanements at 6,668,398 as the eighth busiest airport in the United States. On January 13, 1974, DFW Airport officially opened, ending most passenger service at Love Field.
After deregulation
of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, Southwest Airlines was able to enter the larger passenger markets and announced plans to start providing interstate service in 1979. This angered the City of Fort Worth and DFW International Airport, which resented expanded air service at Love Field. Therefore, Fort Worth-based U.S. Representative (later Speaker of the House
) Jim Wright
helped get a "compromise" law through Congress that restricted air service at Love Field. Using the pretext of protecting DFW, the Wright Amendment
restricted passenger air traffic out of Love Field in the following ways: Passenger service on regular mid-sized and large aircraft
could only be provided from Love Field to locations within Texas
and the four neighboring states
(Louisiana
, Arkansas
, Oklahoma
, and New Mexico
). Long-haul service to other states was possible, but only on commuter aircraft with no more capacity than 56 passenger
s.
While the Wright Amendment prevented any other major airlines from starting service out of Love Field, it did not deter Southwest. Based on short trips to begin with, Southwest continued to flourish as it used multiple shorthaul flights to build its Love Field operation. Some people managed to "work the system" and get around the Wright Amendment's restrictions. For example, a person could fly from Dallas to Houston or Albuquerque, change planes, and then fly to any city Southwest served — although he or she had, at the time, to do so on two tickets in each direction, since the Wright Amendment specifically barred airlines from issuing tickets that violated the law's provisions. This work around was also problematic due to the fact that between flights checked baggage had to be collected and checked onto the next flight. This had the effect of creating mini-hubs at Houston/Hobby Airport
and the Albuquerque International Sunport
. Southwest continued to grow and became one of the most successful and profitable airlines in the United States.
Due to the success of Southwest Airlines, other airlines began considering the use of Love Field for short haul trips. Southwest co-founder Lamar Muse started Muse Air
, a short haul competitor using DC-9s and MD-80s between Love Field and Houston in 1982. Muse Air was unable to operate profitably against Southwest at Love Field, and was purchased by Southwest in 1985 and renamed TranStar Airlines
. Southwest ceased Transtar operations in 1987. Continental Airlines
expressed its intent to fly out of Love Field in 1985, which led to years of court battles over the interpretation
of the Wright Amendment as Fort Worth and DFW International Airport continued to try to prevent expansion at Love Field. Seeing the benefit of increased air traffic at Love Field, the City of Dallas began to actively lobby for the repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions in 1992. In 1997, the Shelby
Amendment successfully passed through Congress, which amended the Wright Amendment. A compromise of sorts, the Shelby Amendment allowed Love Field flights to three more states, Kansas
, Mississippi
, and Alabama
. In addition, it amended the definition of 56-passenger jets that could fly to other states to include any aircraft weighing less than 300,000 pounds which has been reconfigured to accommodate 56 or fewer passengers.
The passage of the Shelby Amendment caused several airlines to consider flying 56-passenger jets out of Love Field, including Continental, Delta
, and a new airline, Legend
. The City of Fort Worth immediately sued
the City of Dallas to try to prevent the Shelby Amendment from going into effect. American
, headquartered at DFW, joined the lawsuits against Dallas, but also said that if other airlines were allowed to fly out of Love Field, it would have no choice but to offer competing service. In 1998, after a year of legal decisions and appeals, Continental Express
became the first major airline other than Southwest to fly out of Love Field since 1974. American began service out of Love Field shortly thereafter, but continued to sue to stop the service. Fort Worth and American Airlines eventually sued the DOT to stop allowing more flights out of Love Field.
In 2000, several federal appeals court
decisions finally struck down all lawsuits against the Shelby Amendment. Fort Worth and American Airlines appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to review the case. These legal decisions opened the door to increased long haul flights out of Love Field using 56-passenger jets, including new service by Delta and Legend. The majority of this 56-passenger jet market was composed of business travelers making day trips to other cities.
In 2001, the September 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent recession
greatly reduced the demand for air travel in the U.S., especially within the business traveler market. As a result, most of the airlines providing long haul 56-passenger flights stopped service and pulled out of Love Field. By 2003, Southwest and Continental Express were the only two major commercial airlines operating out of Love Field. However, due to Southwest's success and the possibility of other airlines returning in the future, the airport has completed an expansion of its parking facilities and is redeveloping one of its terminals.
New parking facilities in a 2,400-space garage opened in 2002 and 2003, connected to the terminal with a climate controlled walkway. The East Concourse, formerly Braniff's "Terminal of the Future," was demolished as part of the Love Field Master Plan.
Love Field celebrated 85 years in the aviation industry in 2002 and was designated as a Texas State Historical Site in 2003.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum
, which had been located inside the airport terminal since 1988, moved to the north side of the airport in a separate facility.
In November 2004, at a breakfast sponsored by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce
, Southwest announced their active opposition to the Wright Amendment
, claiming that the law is anti-competitive and outdated. On November 30, 2005, Missouri was added to the list of states exempted from the Wright Amendment by an amendment written by Sen. Kit Bond. Southwest began nonstop flights to Kansas City and St. Louis on December 13. American Airlines and American Eagle began flights from Love to St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, and San Antonio on March 2, 2006, although American Airlines subsequently pulled out of the market, leaving American Eagle to offer a reduced service to Austin and Kansas City alone. In 2008, American decided to terminate the Austin and Kansas City service and replace it with service to O'Hare International Airport
(which Southwest does not serve) using 50-passenger regional jets in compliance with the Wright provisions regarding aircraft size, although American Eagle recently stopped service from Love field altogether.
On June 15, 2006, it was announced that American Airlines
, Southwest Airlines
, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
had all agreed to seek full repeal of the Wright Amendment, with several conditions. Among them: the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone would stay in place until 2014; through-ticketing to domestic airports (connecting flights to long-haul destinations) would be allowed immediately; Love Field's maximum gate capacity would be lowered from 32 to 20 gates; and Love Field would handle only domestic flights non-stop. Southwest will be able to operate from 16 gates, American 2 gates, and Continental 2 gates. JetBlue and Northwest Airlines
have claimed that the gate cap will effectively bar any airlines not named in the compromise to ever operate from Love Field, even though the agreement calls for Southwest, American and Continental to share gates with new airlines that desire to serve the airport. The cap of 20 gates would effectively restrict the purpose of the 2014 lifting of the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone.
After extensive negotiations with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the compromise bill passed both Houses of Congress on Friday, September 29, just before the 109th Congress adjourned for the November elections. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
led the effort to pass the bill in the Senate while Rep. Kay Granger led a bipartisan Texas House coalition to see the bill through to a successful conclusion in the House. President George W. Bush
signed the bill into law on October 13, 2006. Southwest and American airlines then required approval from the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) to begin one-stop flights from Love Field to destinations outside the Wright limits.
On October 17, 2006, Southwest Airlines announced that it would begin one-stop or connecting service between Love Field and 25 destinations outside the Wright zone on October 19, 2006. American Airlines made travel between Love Field and locations outside the Wright zone available by October 18, 2006.
In 2008 the airport handled 8,060,792 passengers.http://www.dallas-lovefield.com/lovenotes/statistics/200812Enplanements.pdf
The airport became embroiled in a controversy over concessions contracts
when Dallas mayor Tom Leppert
, during a March 3, 2010, City Council meeting, abruptly withdrew support for no-bid contracts with current airport food vendor Star Concessions Ltd. and newspaper and book vendor Hudson Retail Dallas, insisting that the contracts should be opened to public bidding
instead. At a February 22, 2010, meeting, the City Council recommended that the existing contracts, set to expire in June 2011, be extended until 2026 with an additional three-year option and exclusive rights to 54 percent of vending space in a new terminal scheduled to open in 2014. After several abortive attempts to resolve the issue, the City Council voted on August 18, 2010, to open all concessions space in the new terminal for public bidding; city staff would attempt to reach a deal with Star and Hudson to operate existing concessions space from 2011 to 2014, otherwise it would also be opened for public bidding.
At 3:25 PM on August 19, 2010, an hour-long police chase ended at Love Field when Dallas police vehicles rammed a truck driven by carjacking
suspect Michael Browne, who had driven through an airport perimeter fence and onto an active runway in an attempt to evade pursuing officers. Flight operations were briefly disrupted but no aircraft were directly endangered. Transportation Security Administration
officials announced that a review of airport security measures would be conducted due to the incident.
system to connect to Dallas Area Rapid Transit
's Burbank Station.
of 487 feet (148.4 m) above mean sea level. It has three runway
s:
For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2007, the airport had 247,235 aircraft operations, an average of 677 per day: 39% general aviation
, 37% scheduled commercial
, 23% air taxi
and 1% military
. At that time there were 693 aircraft based at this airport: 3% single-engine
, 4% multi-engine, 93% jet
and 1% helicopter
.
The City of Dallas Aviation Administration headquarters is on the grounds of the airport.
and was later used by Legend Airlines and Delta Connection/Atlantic Southeast Airlines. Under the terms of lifting the Wright Amendment, the number of gates at the airport is limited thus effectively precluding use of the terminal for scheduled passenger flights. The gates of the former terminal were demolished and the remaining structure converted into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection
facility.
buses 39 (to downtown Dallas) and 539 (to Mockingbird Station
) serve the airport.
The Green Line
light rail serves the airport at Inwood/Love Field Station, opened in 2010. When terminal reconstruction is complete, a people mover
system will directly link the terminal to DART's Burbank Station.
s including:
:
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 6 miles (10 km, 5 nautical miles) northwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, United States.
Love Field was the primary airport for Dallas until 1974, when Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
opened. Love Field is now Dallas's secondary airport and serves as a major focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
for Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
, which has its corporate headquarters on airport grounds. Continental Express
Continental Express
Continental Express is the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines...
, Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
, and United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
also offer service from Love Field.
Prior to 1957
Love Field was opened as an Army flying field on October 19, 1917, constructed just southeast of Bachman LakeBachman Lake
Bachman Lake is a small freshwater lake located in the Love Field neighborhood of northwest Dallas, Texas . It covers in northwest Dallas and lies on the northwest boundary of Dallas Love Field in the airport's landing path...
. It was named after First Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, who died in an airplane crash in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Love Field was opened to civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
use in 1927 when the city of Dallas purchased the land with National Air Transport
National Air Transport
National Air Transport was a large airline. In 1930 it was bought by Boeing. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so Boeing split into 3 smaller companies, one of which is United Airlines, and it is this that included what had...
(forerunner of United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
) starting the first passenger service.
On April 9, 1932, the first paved runways at the airfield were completed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
for flying training, with the Dallas Texas Aviation School providing basic (level 1) flight training, equipped with Fairchild PT-19
Fairchild PT-19
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
s as the primary trainer used. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned. Love Field was also used as a sub-depot of the San Antonio Air Service Command for aircraft overhauls. Air Force facilities were closed at the end of the war in August 1945.
In September 1943, construction was completed on a new north-south runway (18/36) and northwest-southeast runway (13/31). On March 9, 1947, Love Field's Lemmon Avenue Terminal Building opened on the east side of the airfield. The city adopted an amended Master Plan for Love Field in 1948 guiding future expansion.
On November 29, 1949, American Airlines Flight 157
American Airlines Flight 157
American Airlines Flight 157 was a civil aviation accident resulting in 28 fatalities. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-6, was flying on November 29, 1949 from New York City bound for Mexico City with 46 passengers and crew...
, a Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
en route from New York City to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
with 46 passengers and crew, slid off Runway 36 after the flight crew lost control on final approach to Love Field for a routine stopover. The airliner struck a parked airplane, a hangar, and a flight school before crashing into a business across from the airport, killing 28. This was the deadliest air disaster in Texas history at the time and, according to modern reference sources, remains the deadliest crash to take place at the airfield itself.
Pioneer Airlines moved its base from Houston to Love Field in 1950.
On March 26, 1952, work was completed to extend Runway 13/31 to its current length of 7,752 ft (2,363 m). Soon afterwards, on June 1, 1954, the east/west crosswind Runway 7/25 was permanently closed; it was later removed to accommodate new terminal construction. This left Love Field with only two runways: Runway 13/31, the longer primary runway, and the shorter Runway 18/36.
1957 to 1974
Love Field's new terminal building (the third and current terminal) was dedicated on October 20, 1957, and opened to airline service on January 20, 1958. The complex opened with three one-story concourses equipped with 26 ramp-level gates and connected to the terminal by the world's first airport moving walkways. Airlines serving the airport at the time included American, Braniff, Central (which was based in Fort Worth), Continental, Delta and Trans Texas (later Texas International).Jet-powered operations began on April 1, 1959, when Continental Airlines introduced the Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
turboprop. Turbojet operations began on July 12, 1959, when American Airlines initiated Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
flights to New York.
The 1960s brought tremendous growth to Love Field. In 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Earle Wyatt made a gift of a large bronze statue bearing the inscription "One Riot, One Ranger" for display in the airport's new terminal. Famed Texas born sculptress Waldine Tauch created the piece. The inscription refers to an incident in which a single Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
was dispatched to quell a riot. Beginning October 2010, the "One Riot, One Ranger" statue is temporarily moved for display to the nearby Frontiers of Flight Museum
Frontiers of Flight Museum
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is an aerospace museum located in Dallas, Texas. The museum was founded in November 1988 by William E. Cooper, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jan Collmer. Originally located within a terminal at Dallas Love Field, the museum now occupies a building at the Southeast corner...
, until completion of the first phase of airport terminal renovation in early 2013.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
arrived at Love Field on board Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
, and was assassinated
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
in Dealey Plaza
Dealey Plaza
Dealey Plaza , in the historic West End district of downtown Dallas, Texas , is the location of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
while his motorcade was traveling from Love Field to the Dallas Trade Mart. Hours later, Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
was sworn in as president aboard Air Force One before its departure from Love Field.
On April 2, 1965, the 8,800 ft (2,682 m) long parallel Runway 13R/31L was opened to relieve traffic on congested Runway 13/31 (which was renamed Runway 13L/31R). The project had been vexed by extensive legal wrangling; safety concerns were raised regarding its proximity to schools and its minimal safety areas
Runway safety area
A runway safety area or runway end safety area is defined as "the surface surrounding the runway prepared or suitable for reducing the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an undershoot, overshoot, or excursion from the runway."Past standards called for the RSA to extend only 60m from the...
, while nearby residents attempted to stop the anticipated increase in jet noise and the removal of homes and businesses adjacent to the airport to accommodate the project.
Several terminal expansion programs were fueled by the boom in air travel during the 1960s. American Airlines expanded their concourse in 1968. In the same year, Braniff opened its "Terminal of the Future." The expansion, showcasing Alexander Girard
Alexander Girard
Alexander Girard affectionately known as Sandro, was an architect and a textile designer born in New York City to an American mother from Boston and a French-Italian father. He was raised in Florence, Italy...
, Herman Miller
Herman Miller
Herman Miller may refer to:*Herman Miller , U.S. manufacturer of office furniture and equipment*Herman Miller , Hollywood writer and producer...
and Ray and Charles Eames designs, featured the first rotunda concourse, jet bridges and several airport innovations. Braniff connected their new terminal to new remote parking lots with the Jetrail
Jetrail
Jetrail was a suspended monorail system that operated at Dallas Love Field in Dallas, Texas, from 1969 to 1974. It was built for and operated by Braniff International Airways to transport passengers and their luggage from remote parking lots to the airport terminal. Jetrail was the world's first...
monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
system in 1970. Texas International expanded their concourse in 1969, and Delta's concourse was expanded in 1970.
In 1972, Love Field was the site of a notable hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
incident. On 12 January, Billy Gene Hurst, Jr., a resident of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, hijacked Braniff Flight 38
Braniff Flight 38
Braniff Flight 38, a Boeing 727 airliner, was hijacked by a lone gunman as it departed William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, bound for Dallas, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Minneapolis, Minnesota....
, a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
airliner, as it departed William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969...
in Houston bound for Dallas. After the plane landed at Love Field, Hurst allowed all 94 passengers to deplane, but continued to hold the 7 crewmembers hostage. Hurst insisted on flying to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and made a variety of other demands, including food, cigarettes, parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
s, jungle survival gear, US $2 million, and a handgun. After a 6-hour standoff, police gave Hurst a package containing parachutes and some other items, and the hostages escaped while he was distracted examining the package's contents. Police officers stormed the craft soon afterwards and arrested him without serious incident. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
With the need for a larger airport, the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
agreed to build Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Airport (the original name of the current Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport). It was agreed that to protect the new airport, each city would restrict its own passenger-service airports from air-carrier operations.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
, founded in 1971 and headquartered at Love Field, built its business on selling quick, no-frills trips between Dallas, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. The company felt that the notion of a quick trip would be destroyed by a long drive to the new large airport outside of the city. Prior to the opening of DFW, Southwest Airlines sued for the right to remain at Love Field.
In 1973, the courts ruled that the City of Dallas could not restrict Southwest Airlines from operating out of Love Field, so long as it remained open as an airport. This ruling effectively granted Southwest the right to continue to operate its existing intrastate service out of Love Field. The airlines operating from Love Field at the time DFW was conceived executed agreements with DFW stipulating that no airline could operate at the new airport if it continued to operate any flights out of Love Field. Southwest, created after the other carriers had signed on to the DFW operating agreements, was not a signatory and remained as the only airline operating at Love Field.
Prior to completion of DFW, regularly scheduled service from Love Field included: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Phoenix, Washington, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Cleveland, San Antonio, El Paso and Mexico City (American); Atlanta, New Orleans, Orlando, Shreveport, Birmingham, Jackson, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (Delta); Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Washington, Houston, Austin, Lubbock, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, San Antonio and Mexico City (Braniff International); Midland-Odessa, Lubbock, Amarillo, Albuquerque, and El Paso (Continental); New Orleans, Tampa and Miami (Eastern). Trans-Texas Airways provided service to Beaumont-Pt. Arthur, Texarkana, Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Big Spring, Austin, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Amarillo among other locales.
1973 saw Love Field, which contained more than 70 gates and saw frequent Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
service, reach record enplanements at 6,668,398 as the eighth busiest airport in the United States. On January 13, 1974, DFW Airport officially opened, ending most passenger service at Love Field.
1974 through 1999
With the drastic reduction in flights and only 467,212 enplanements in 1975, Love Field decommissioned several of its concourses. The city of Dallas attempted to make use of these dormant facilities by leasing some of them to an entrepreneur who opened the "Llove Entertainment Complex" in November 1975. The main lobby at the front of a former terminal was transformed into movie theaters, ice rink, roller rink, huge video arcades, restaurants and bowling alley. Llove seemed especially suited for the pre-teen and teen crowd, who could spend the day for a single admission charge of about $3.50. Llove closed in May 1978. Several of the concourses were remodeled into support and training buildings for Southwest Airlines.After deregulation
Airline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, Southwest Airlines was able to enter the larger passenger markets and announced plans to start providing interstate service in 1979. This angered the City of Fort Worth and DFW International Airport, which resented expanded air service at Love Field. Therefore, Fort Worth-based U.S. Representative (later Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
) Jim Wright
Jim Wright
James Claude Wright, Jr. , usually known as Jim Wright, is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the House from 1987 to 1989.-Early life:...
helped get a "compromise" law through Congress that restricted air service at Love Field. Using the pretext of protecting DFW, the Wright Amendment
Wright Amendment
The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas Love Field, an airport in Dallas, Texas. It originally limited most nonstop flights to destinations within Texas and neighboring states. The limits began phasing out in 1997 and 2005...
restricted passenger air traffic out of Love Field in the following ways: Passenger service on regular mid-sized and large aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
could only be provided from Love Field to locations within Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the four neighboring states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
(Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
). Long-haul service to other states was possible, but only on commuter aircraft with no more capacity than 56 passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
s.
While the Wright Amendment prevented any other major airlines from starting service out of Love Field, it did not deter Southwest. Based on short trips to begin with, Southwest continued to flourish as it used multiple shorthaul flights to build its Love Field operation. Some people managed to "work the system" and get around the Wright Amendment's restrictions. For example, a person could fly from Dallas to Houston or Albuquerque, change planes, and then fly to any city Southwest served — although he or she had, at the time, to do so on two tickets in each direction, since the Wright Amendment specifically barred airlines from issuing tickets that violated the law's provisions. This work around was also problematic due to the fact that between flights checked baggage had to be collected and checked onto the next flight. This had the effect of creating mini-hubs at Houston/Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969...
and the Albuquerque International Sunport
Albuquerque International Sunport
Albuquerque International Sunport is a public airport located 3 miles southeast of the central business district of Albuquerque, a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. It is the largest commercial airport in the state, handling 5,888,811 passengers in 2009...
. Southwest continued to grow and became one of the most successful and profitable airlines in the United States.
Due to the success of Southwest Airlines, other airlines began considering the use of Love Field for short haul trips. Southwest co-founder Lamar Muse started Muse Air
TranStar Airlines
TranStar Airlines was a domestic U.S. carrier based in Houston, Texas from 1981 to 1987.-History:The company was first established as a Texas-based commuter called Muse Air, but much like Southwest Airlines, only flying larger mainline equipment. Muse Air's name originates from its founder and the...
, a short haul competitor using DC-9s and MD-80s between Love Field and Houston in 1982. Muse Air was unable to operate profitably against Southwest at Love Field, and was purchased by Southwest in 1985 and renamed TranStar Airlines
TranStar Airlines
TranStar Airlines was a domestic U.S. carrier based in Houston, Texas from 1981 to 1987.-History:The company was first established as a Texas-based commuter called Muse Air, but much like Southwest Airlines, only flying larger mainline equipment. Muse Air's name originates from its founder and the...
. Southwest ceased Transtar operations in 1987. Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
expressed its intent to fly out of Love Field in 1985, which led to years of court battles over the interpretation
Statutory interpretation
Statutory interpretation is the process by which courts interpret and apply legislation. Some amount of interpretation is always necessary when a case involves a statute. Sometimes the words of a statute have a plain and straightforward meaning. But in many cases, there is some ambiguity or...
of the Wright Amendment as Fort Worth and DFW International Airport continued to try to prevent expansion at Love Field. Seeing the benefit of increased air traffic at Love Field, the City of Dallas began to actively lobby for the repeal of the Wright Amendment restrictions in 1992. In 1997, the Shelby
Richard Shelby
Richard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
Amendment successfully passed through Congress, which amended the Wright Amendment. A compromise of sorts, the Shelby Amendment allowed Love Field flights to three more states, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. In addition, it amended the definition of 56-passenger jets that could fly to other states to include any aircraft weighing less than 300,000 pounds which has been reconfigured to accommodate 56 or fewer passengers.
The passage of the Shelby Amendment caused several airlines to consider flying 56-passenger jets out of Love Field, including Continental, Delta
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, and a new airline, Legend
Legend Airlines
Legend Airlines was an airline that had its headquarters on the grounds of Dallas Love Field. Legend flew primarily from Love Field, Dallas, Texas, USA for a matter of months, during the year 2000...
. The City of Fort Worth immediately sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
the City of Dallas to try to prevent the Shelby Amendment from going into effect. American
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, headquartered at DFW, joined the lawsuits against Dallas, but also said that if other airlines were allowed to fly out of Love Field, it would have no choice but to offer competing service. In 1998, after a year of legal decisions and appeals, Continental Express
Continental Express
Continental Express is the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines...
became the first major airline other than Southwest to fly out of Love Field since 1974. American began service out of Love Field shortly thereafter, but continued to sue to stop the service. Fort Worth and American Airlines eventually sued the DOT to stop allowing more flights out of Love Field.
2000 to Present
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
decisions finally struck down all lawsuits against the Shelby Amendment. Fort Worth and American Airlines appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to review the case. These legal decisions opened the door to increased long haul flights out of Love Field using 56-passenger jets, including new service by Delta and Legend. The majority of this 56-passenger jet market was composed of business travelers making day trips to other cities.
In 2001, the September 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
greatly reduced the demand for air travel in the U.S., especially within the business traveler market. As a result, most of the airlines providing long haul 56-passenger flights stopped service and pulled out of Love Field. By 2003, Southwest and Continental Express were the only two major commercial airlines operating out of Love Field. However, due to Southwest's success and the possibility of other airlines returning in the future, the airport has completed an expansion of its parking facilities and is redeveloping one of its terminals.
New parking facilities in a 2,400-space garage opened in 2002 and 2003, connected to the terminal with a climate controlled walkway. The East Concourse, formerly Braniff's "Terminal of the Future," was demolished as part of the Love Field Master Plan.
Love Field celebrated 85 years in the aviation industry in 2002 and was designated as a Texas State Historical Site in 2003.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum
Frontiers of Flight Museum
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is an aerospace museum located in Dallas, Texas. The museum was founded in November 1988 by William E. Cooper, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jan Collmer. Originally located within a terminal at Dallas Love Field, the museum now occupies a building at the Southeast corner...
, which had been located inside the airport terminal since 1988, moved to the north side of the airport in a separate facility.
In November 2004, at a breakfast sponsored by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce
North Dallas Chamber of Commerce
The North Dallas Chamber of Commerce is a chamber of commerce located in north Dallas, Texas . It has 900+ members and represents the business community interests in City of Dallas, Dallas County, and the State of Texas. It has long supported regional surface transportation and helped to get...
, Southwest announced their active opposition to the Wright Amendment
Wright Amendment
The Wright Amendment of 1979 is a federal law governing traffic at Dallas Love Field, an airport in Dallas, Texas. It originally limited most nonstop flights to destinations within Texas and neighboring states. The limits began phasing out in 1997 and 2005...
, claiming that the law is anti-competitive and outdated. On November 30, 2005, Missouri was added to the list of states exempted from the Wright Amendment by an amendment written by Sen. Kit Bond. Southwest began nonstop flights to Kansas City and St. Louis on December 13. American Airlines and American Eagle began flights from Love to St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, and San Antonio on March 2, 2006, although American Airlines subsequently pulled out of the market, leaving American Eagle to offer a reduced service to Austin and Kansas City alone. In 2008, American decided to terminate the Austin and Kansas City service and replace it with service to O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
(which Southwest does not serve) using 50-passenger regional jets in compliance with the Wright provisions regarding aircraft size, although American Eagle recently stopped service from Love field altogether.
On June 15, 2006, it was announced that American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
had all agreed to seek full repeal of the Wright Amendment, with several conditions. Among them: the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone would stay in place until 2014; through-ticketing to domestic airports (connecting flights to long-haul destinations) would be allowed immediately; Love Field's maximum gate capacity would be lowered from 32 to 20 gates; and Love Field would handle only domestic flights non-stop. Southwest will be able to operate from 16 gates, American 2 gates, and Continental 2 gates. JetBlue and Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
have claimed that the gate cap will effectively bar any airlines not named in the compromise to ever operate from Love Field, even though the agreement calls for Southwest, American and Continental to share gates with new airlines that desire to serve the airport. The cap of 20 gates would effectively restrict the purpose of the 2014 lifting of the ban on nonstop flights outside the Wright zone.
After extensive negotiations with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the compromise bill passed both Houses of Congress on Friday, September 29, just before the 109th Congress adjourned for the November elections. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
led the effort to pass the bill in the Senate while Rep. Kay Granger led a bipartisan Texas House coalition to see the bill through to a successful conclusion in the House. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed the bill into law on October 13, 2006. Southwest and American airlines then required approval from the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) to begin one-stop flights from Love Field to destinations outside the Wright limits.
On October 17, 2006, Southwest Airlines announced that it would begin one-stop or connecting service between Love Field and 25 destinations outside the Wright zone on October 19, 2006. American Airlines made travel between Love Field and locations outside the Wright zone available by October 18, 2006.
In 2008 the airport handled 8,060,792 passengers.http://www.dallas-lovefield.com/lovenotes/statistics/200812Enplanements.pdf
The airport became embroiled in a controversy over concessions contracts
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
when Dallas mayor Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert is an American politician who served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2007 to 2011, and who worked as CEO of the Turner Corporation...
, during a March 3, 2010, City Council meeting, abruptly withdrew support for no-bid contracts with current airport food vendor Star Concessions Ltd. and newspaper and book vendor Hudson Retail Dallas, insisting that the contracts should be opened to public bidding
Bidding
Bidding is an offer of setting a price one is willing to pay for something. A price offer is called a bid. The term may be used in context of auctions, stock exchange, card games, or real estate transactions....
instead. At a February 22, 2010, meeting, the City Council recommended that the existing contracts, set to expire in June 2011, be extended until 2026 with an additional three-year option and exclusive rights to 54 percent of vending space in a new terminal scheduled to open in 2014. After several abortive attempts to resolve the issue, the City Council voted on August 18, 2010, to open all concessions space in the new terminal for public bidding; city staff would attempt to reach a deal with Star and Hudson to operate existing concessions space from 2011 to 2014, otherwise it would also be opened for public bidding.
At 3:25 PM on August 19, 2010, an hour-long police chase ended at Love Field when Dallas police vehicles rammed a truck driven by carjacking
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
suspect Michael Browne, who had driven through an airport perimeter fence and onto an active runway in an attempt to evade pursuing officers. Flight operations were briefly disrupted but no aircraft were directly endangered. Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
officials announced that a review of airport security measures would be conducted due to the incident.
Future
In early 2009 a plan to modernize Love Field was announced. The $519 million master plan will replace the existing terminals with a new 20-gate concourse and expanded baggage facilities. The project is scheduled to open when the last of the Wright amendment restrictions end in 2014. The project also calls for a $250 million people moverPeople mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
system to connect to Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
's Burbank Station.
Facilities and aircraft
Dallas Love Field covers an area of 1300 acres (526.1 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 487 feet (148.4 m) above mean sea level. It has three runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s:
- Runway 13L/31R: 7752 by 150 ft (2,362.8 by 45.7 m), Surface: Concrete (Built 1943, Extended 1952)
- Runway 13R/31L: 8800 by 150 ft (2,682.2 by 45.7 m), Surface: Concrete (Built 1965)
- Runway 18/36: 6147 by 150 ft (1,873.6 by 45.7 m), Surface: Asphalt (Built 1943)
For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2007, the airport had 247,235 aircraft operations, an average of 677 per day: 39% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, 37% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, 23% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
and 1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 693 aircraft based at this airport: 3% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 4% multi-engine, 93% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 1% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
The City of Dallas Aviation Administration headquarters is on the grounds of the airport.
Airlines and destinations
Love Field's passenger terminals have 19 gates, divided into two terminals: 1 and 2. Southwest's Terminal 2 has 15 gates: 1, 1A–12, 14, 15, while Terminal 1 has four gates: 29–32.Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Houston, TXWilliam P. Hobby Airport William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969... |
562,000 | Southwest |
| 2 | San Antonio, TX San Antonio International Airport San Antonio International Airport is a commercial airport in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The airport has three runways and covers . Its elevation is above sea level. SAT is a Class C airport.- Overview :... |
321,000 | Southwest |
| 3 | Austin, TX Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a mixed-use commercial airport located southeast of the central business district of Austin, Texas, United States. It covers and has two runways and three helipads.The airport began passenger service on May 23, 1999... |
272,000 | Southwest |
| 4 |  Kansas City, MOKansas City International Airport Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport... |
215,000 | Southwest |
| 5 | St. Louis, MO Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily... |
211,000 | Southwest |
| 6 |  New Orleans, LALouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a Class B public use international airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 10 nautical miles west of its central business district. The airport's address is 900 Airline Drive... |
184,000 | Southwest |
| 7 |  Albuquerque, NMAlbuquerque International Sunport Albuquerque International Sunport is a public airport located 3 miles southeast of the central business district of Albuquerque, a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. It is the largest commercial airport in the state, handling 5,888,811 passengers in 2009... |
183,000 | Southwest |
| 8 | Lubbock, TX Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport is an airport located just north of Lubbock, Texas. Originally known as Lubbock International Airport, it was renamed in 2004 to honor former Texas governor Preston E. Smith, an alumnus of Texas Tech University... |
155,000 | Southwest |
| 9 | Midland, TX Midland International Airport -Top Destinations:-See also:* Texas World War II Army Airfields-References:* Shaw, Frederick J. , Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.... |
143,000 | Southwest |
| 10 | Amarillo, TX Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is a public airport located six miles east of the central business district of Amarillo, a city in Potter and Randall Counties, Texas, United States... |
137,000 | Southwest |
Legend Terminal
The terminal was built by Legend AirlinesLegend Airlines
Legend Airlines was an airline that had its headquarters on the grounds of Dallas Love Field. Legend flew primarily from Love Field, Dallas, Texas, USA for a matter of months, during the year 2000...
and was later used by Legend Airlines and Delta Connection/Atlantic Southeast Airlines. Under the terms of lifting the Wright Amendment, the number of gates at the airport is limited thus effectively precluding use of the terminal for scheduled passenger flights. The gates of the former terminal were demolished and the remaining structure converted into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
facility.
Public transit
Currently, DARTDallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
buses 39 (to downtown Dallas) and 539 (to Mockingbird Station
Mockingbird Station
Mockingbird is a DART Light Rail station located in north Dallas, Texas at Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway . It opened in January 1997 and is a station on the , and Lines, serving the Mockingbird Station residential and retail development and nearby Southern Methodist...
) serve the airport.
The Green Line
Green Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Green Line is a light rail line in Dallas, USA, operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority . The US$1.7 billion project opened in phases, starting in 2009...
light rail serves the airport at Inwood/Love Field Station, opened in 2010. When terminal reconstruction is complete, a people mover
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
system will directly link the terminal to DART's Burbank Station.
Charter Service and FBOs
Love Field is also home to a number of charter flight companies and FBOFixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
s including:
- Landmark Aviation (FBO)
- Business Jet Center (FBO)
- Business Jet Access (Charter)
- Signature Flight Support
- Jet AviationJet AviationJet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics , was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,000 employees cater to client needs from 26 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North...
Airport operations
The following occurred at the airfield itself, immediately after takeoff, during the final landing approach, and/or during an attempted go-aroundGo-around
A go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
:
- December 23, 1936: A Braniff AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Lockheed Model 10 ElectraLockheed Model 10 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
airliner, registration number NC-14905, suffered an engine failure during a go-around while conducting a non-scheduled test flight; the pilot tried to turn back towards Love Field but lost control, causing the craft to spinSpin (flight)In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
into the northern shore of Bachman LakeBachman LakeBachman Lake is a small freshwater lake located in the Love Field neighborhood of northwest Dallas, Texas . It covers in northwest Dallas and lies on the northwest boundary of Dallas Love Field in the airport's landing path...
. Its 6 occupants, all Braniff employees, died in the crash and ensuing fire. - November 29, 1949: American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
Flight 157American Airlines Flight 157American Airlines Flight 157 was a civil aviation accident resulting in 28 fatalities. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-6, was flying on November 29, 1949 from New York City bound for Mexico City with 46 passengers and crew...
, a Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
, was on final approach to Runway 36 when the flight crew lost control, causing the airliner to slide off the runway and strike a parked airplane, a hangar, and a flight school before crashing into a business across the street from the airport. 26 passengers and 2 flight attendantFlight attendantFlight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
s died in the crash and ensuing fire; the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineerFlight engineerFlight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
, and 15 others survived. - June 28, 1952: A Temco SwiftGlobe Swift|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davisson, Budd. "Swiftly, Swiftly: An Appreciation of one of General Aviation's Classic Aircraft." Air Progress, Vol. 45, No. 8, August 1983....
private plane collided with American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
Flight 910American Airlines Flight 910American Airlines Flight 910, a four-engine Douglas DC-6 propliner, collided in mid-air with a single engine Temco Swift on final approach to Dallas Love Field on June 28, 1952, over Dallas, Texas. The DC-6 was carrying 55 passengers and 5 crew members from San Francisco, California...
, a Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
on final approach to Love Field from San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
; the DC-6 landed safely with no injuries to the 55 passengers and 5 crew, but both occupants of the Swift died on impact with the ground. - May 15, 1953: A Braniff International AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
carrying 48 passengers and 5 crew slid off the end of Runway 36, crossed Lemmon Avenue, and plowed into an embankment. Despite reportedly heavy automobileAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
traffic on the busy street, no vehicles were struck, and nobody aboard the airliner was seriously injured. The crash was attributed to poor braking action on the rain-slicked runway. - July 9, 1953: A Southern Air TransportSouthern Air Transport-Southern Air Transport :The first Southern Air Transport, based in Dallas, Texas, formed on February 11, 1929 when businessman A. P. Barrett consolidated Texas Air Transport and several other small aviation companies...
Curtiss-WrightCurtiss-WrightThe Curtiss-Wright Corporation was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the end of World War II, but has evolved to largely become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, aircraft controls, valves, and metalworking....
C-46 CommandoC-46 CommandoThe Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
cargo transport, carrying a crew of 2, skidded off the runway and flipped over after a hard landing; the pilot suffered significant injuries but the co-pilot escaped safely. - May 14, 1960: The pilot of a Beechcraft BonanzaBeechcraft BonanzaThe Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
private plane suffered an apparent heart attack and fell unconsciousUnconsciousnessUnconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
while en route from Fort WorthFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
to Dallas. The pilot's wife and sole passenger, who was not a trained pilot, managed to guide the Bonanza to Love Field but crashed while attempting to land. Both occupants suffered severe injuries and the pilot was pronounced dead, but it is unclear whether his death resulted from the heart attack or from injuries sustained during the crash. - September 14, 1960: An airline maintenance inspector lost control of a Braniff International AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Douglas DC-7Douglas DC-7The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
during a taxi text and crashed into a hangar at high speed; the inspector died and 5 of the 6 mechanics aboard were injured. - April 18, 1962: A Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
operated by an aviation company affiliated with Purdue UniversityPurdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, registration number N3588, crashed immediately after taking off to test a newly-installed engine; the craft exploded into flames, killing all 3 people aboard. The crash was attributed to insufficient airspeedAirspeedAirspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
at takeoff, and the National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
noted that the pilot was not properly qualified to fly a DC-3. - April 19, 1963: A Beechcraft BonanzaBeechcraft BonanzaThe Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
private plane crashed short of the runway on final approach, killing both occupants. - January 29, 1966: A Piper Cherokee SixPiper Cherokee Six-External links:* *...
air taxiAir taxiAn air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
, registration number N3246W, suffered an engine failure on final approach to Love Field and struck trees while the pilot was attempting an emergency landing on a nearby street. The pilot and 5 passengers were injured; the engine failure was attributed to carburetor icingCarburetor icingCarburetor, or carb icing, is an icing condition which can affect any carburetor under certain atmospheric conditions. Carburetor icing occurs when there is humid air, and the temperature drop in the venturi causes the water vapor to freeze. The ice will form on the surfaces of the carburetor...
. - February 10, 1967: A Beechcraft D18SBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
, registration number N7388, crashed at Love Field after a propeller blade separated during takeoff; the pilot and both passengers died. - September 27, 1967: All 7 occupants of an Aero Commander 560E, registration number N3831C, died after the left-hand wing broke during the landing approach, sending the plane plummeting into Mockingbird Lane in Highland Park, TexasHighland Park, TexasHighland Park is a town in central Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,842 at the 2000 census. Located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 , four miles north of downtown Dallas....
. Wreckage tore through the playground of Bradfield Elementary SchoolBradfield Elementary SchoolJohn S. Bradfield Elementary School is a public primary school located at 4300 Southern Avenue in Highland Park, Texas, United States. The school, a part of the Highland Park Independent School District, serves pre-Kindergarten through 4th Grade. The school serves sections of Highland Park, and...
, but school was not in session and nobody on the ground was seriously harmed. - September 29, 1970: After a scheduled flight from Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, the landing gearLanding GearLanding Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
of a Braniff International AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Boeing 720Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, registration number N7080, collapsed during landing. The automatic gear extension mechanism had failed in flight and the flight crew manually lowered the gear but neglected to lock it in the "Down" position. The airliner slid to a halt on the runway, suffering significant damage, but there were no injuries to the 47 passengers and 7 crew. - June 7, 1971: A Dallas Police DepartmentDallas Police DepartmentThe Dallas Police Department, established in 1881, is the principal law enforcement agency serving the city of Dallas, Texas.-Organization:The department is headed by a chief of police who is appointed by the city manager who, in turn, is hired by the Dallas City Council...
Bell 47G-5Bell 47The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946...
helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, registration number N2022W, was destroyed when heavy winds blew the craft into an airfield fence during landing; the observerAir observerAn air observer is a British term for a military aircrew member whose duties are predominantly reconnaissance. The term originates in the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps, and was maintained by its successor, the Royal Air Force...
suffered minor injuries and the pilot escaped safely. - December 26, 1973: The pilot of a Tricon International Airlines Beechcraft C-45HBeechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
cargo transport, registration number N118X, lost control while circling Love Field for a precautionary landing after being unable to raise the landing gearLanding GearLanding Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
during takeoff. The C-45 struck 2 houses southeast of the airport, killing the pilot and injuring a person on the ground; the crash was attributed to insufficient airspeedAirspeedAirspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
and improper loading. - April 18, 1975: A Cessna 310FCessna 310The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
, registration number N5818X, ran off the end of the runway, struck a fence, and burned after losing engine power during takeoff; the craft's 2 occupants, a student pilot and flight instructor, escaped with minor injuries. The crash was attributed to fuel starvationFuel StarvationFuel starvation and fuel exhaustion are problems that can affect internal combustion engines fuelled by either diesel, kerosene, petroleum or any other combustible liquid or gas. If no fuel is available for an engine to burn, it cannot function...
; the student pilot had mishandled the fuel control valve (known as the fuel selector) and taken off with the fuel tanks disconnected from the engines. - June 8, 1976: The pilot of a Cessna 175Cessna 175thumb|right|Cessna 175C Skylark The Cessna 175 Skylark is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane produced between 1958 and 1962.-Production history:The 175 was designed to fill a niche between the Cessna 172 and the faster Cessna 182...
, registration number N9259B, executed an emergency landing on nearby Mockingbird Lane soon after takeoff from Love Field, striking a telephone pole and a moving automobile; the aircraft was substantially damaged, but there were no serious injuries to the aircraft's 4 occupants or the driver of the car. The crash was attributed to insufficient airspeed and overloading. - January 27, 2000: After its tailplane deicingDeicingFor snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...
system failed during the landing approach, a Misubishi MU-300 business jet, registration number N900WJ, touched down on Runway 31R at higher-than-normal speed as recommended for such a situation. When it became evident that the aircraft was going to overrun the runway due to the high speed and poor braking action on the slushSlushSlush can mean any of the following:* Slush — a slurry mixture of liquid and solid forms of water.* Slush — a pejorative and slang combination of the likewise derogatory terms slut and lush...
-covered pavement, the pilot purposefully steered the jet into an embankment to avoid striking light poles past the far end of the runway. There were no injuries to the 4 passengers or 2 crew, but the aircraft was written off. - March 1, 2009: A Southwest AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
(SWA) Boeing 737-7H4Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, registration number N741SA, carrying 132 passengers and 5 crew, was taxiing to a gate after landing when it collided with a stationary SWA Boeing 737-3H4Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, registration number N652SW, which had just departed from another gate carrying 102 passengers and 5 crew. The winglet of N741SA became embedded in the horizontal stabilizerTailplaneA tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
of N652SW, causing minor damage to both, but there were no injuries; the incident was attributed to the failure of the pilot of N741SA to correctly judge the clearance between the two airliners. The winglet has been framed and prominently displayed at the SWA pilot training center as a visual reminder to exercise caution.
Flights departing from or bound for Love Field
The following did not occur near the airfield itself but involved flights originating from or bound for Love Field:- October 16, 1942: A US Army Air Force MartinGlenn L. Martin CompanyThe Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
was en route to Love Field when bad weather closed the airfield and controllers advised the crew to divert to Fort WorthFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. The craft was flying at very low altitude to stay in visual conditionsVisual flight rulesVisual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
under low clouds when its wing struck a guy-wireGuy-wireA guy-wire or guy-rope, also known as simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to structures . One end of the cable is attached to the structure, and the other is anchored to the ground at a distance from the structure's base...
of the WFAA radio towerRadio masts and towersRadio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
near Grapevine, TexasGrapevine, TexasGrapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
, causing the pilot to lose control; all 6 crewmembers died in the subsequent crash. - September 29, 1959: Braniff International AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Flight 542Braniff Flight 542Braniff Airways Flight 542, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, registration N9705C, was a scheduled domestic flight from Houston, Texas, bound for New York with scheduled stops in Dallas and Washington, D.C....
, a turbopropTurbopropA turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
Lockheed L-188 ElectraLockheed L-188 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design...
, suffered a mechanical failure and crashed southeast of Buffalo, TexasBuffalo, TexasThis article is about the city in Leon County, Texas. A similarly named place exists in Henderson County, Texas, the settlement of John H. Reagan.Buffalo is a city in Leon County, Texas, United States...
, while en route to Love Field from HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, killing 29 passengers and 5 crewmembers. The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the crash to the "whirl-mode" prop theory. http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=09291959®=N9705C&airline=Braniff+Airlines - May 3, 1968: Braniff International AirwaysBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Flight 352Braniff Flight 352Braniff International Airways Flight 352 was a scheduled domestic flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, United States to Dallas, Texas; on May 3, 1968 a Lockheed L-188A Electra flying on the route, registration N9707C, broke up in mid air and crashed near Dawson, Texas after...
, a Lockheed L-188 ElectraLockheed L-188 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design...
, broke up in a thunderstorm near Dawson, TexasDawson, TexasDawson is a town in Navarro County, Texas, United States. The population was 852 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dawson is located at ....
while en route from Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to Love Field. All 80 passengers and 5 crewmembers died. - November 6, 1972: An Aero Commander 680, registration number N6204D, crashed in a neighborhood near White Rock LakeWhite Rock LakeWhite Rock Lake is a reservoir located in east Dallas, Texas . The lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek, which today widens into the lake before continuing south out of the spillway and emptying into the Trinity River...
minutes after takeoff from Love Field, killing both occupants; the crash was attributed to spatial disorientationSpatial disorientationSpatial disorientation is the inability to correctly interpret aircraft attitude, altitude or airspeed, in relation to the Earth or point of reference. Spatial disorientation is a condition in which an aircraft pilot's perception of direction does not agree with reality...
in densely clouded IFRInstrument flight rulesInstrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
conditions. - April 6, 1975: The pilot and passenger of a Bellanca 17-30A Super VikingBellanca 17-30-External links:* * * * * *...
, registration number N8293R, died on impact with terrain hidden by cloudsControlled flight into terrainControlled flight into terrain describes an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, water, or an obstacle. The term was coined by engineers at Boeing in the late 1970s...
in the Caprock EscarpmentCaprock EscarpmentThe Caprock Escarpment is a term used in Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 320 km south-southwest from the northeast...
area of the Texas PanhandleTexas PanhandleThe Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
while en route from Love Field to Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
; the crash was attributed to the pilot's decision to continue VFRVisual flight rulesVisual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
flight into known IFR conditions. - May 20, 1977: A Bell 47J RangerBell 47J Ranger|-See also:-References:* -External links:* from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft by Gerard Frawley...
helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, registration number N6736D, broke up over University Park, TexasUniversity Park, TexasUniversity Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a inner suburb of Dallas. The population was 23,324 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. Like its neighbor, Highland Park, it is a city partially surrounded by the municipality of Dallas...
while enroute from the operator's North Dallas heliportHeliportA heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
to Love Field, killing its pilot and sole occupant; the crash was attributed to the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate rotorHelicopter rotorA helicopter main rotor or rotor system is a type of fan that is used to generate both the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and thrust which counteracts aerodynamic drag in forward flight...
RPM, causing the rotor blades to strike the tail boom. - October 1, 1985: All 4 occupants of a Cessna 441Cessna 441-See also:-External links:* *...
, registration number N400BG, and the sole occupant of a Cessna 152Cessna 152The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use.-Development:...
, registration number N5522L, were killed when the two aircraft collided nearly head-on over Southeast Dallas. The student pilot of N5522L was practicing solo maneuvers in an area about 14 mi (23 km) southeast of Love Field when air traffic controllers directed the pilot of N400BG to descend through the area inbound to Runway 31R. The collision was attributed to the failure of both pilots to watch for conflicting air traffic during VFRVisual flight rulesVisual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
flight. - December 31, 1985: The cabin of a Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, registration number N711Y, filled with dense smoke after the flight crew attempted to turn on a cabin heater while en route to Love Field from Guntersville, AlabamaGuntersville, AlabamaGuntersville is a city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the population of the city was 8,197. The city is the county seat of Marshall County. Guntersville is located in a HUBZone as identified by the...
; the pilot initiated an emergency landing in a field near De Kalb, TexasDe Kalb, TexasDeKalb is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,769 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Texarkana, Texas - Texarkana, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its two area codes are 430 and 903. Its ZIP code is 75559...
, but the aircraft struck trees and utility poles, suffering severe damage and bursting into flames. The pilot and co-pilot escaped with serious injuries, but all 7 passengers were killed, including popular singer and actor Ricky NelsonRicky NelsonEric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
. The NTSB was unable to verify the origin of the smoke, stating in the final report that "... the ignition and fuel source were not determined." - January 3, 1986: The right-hand engine mount of a Southwest AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
Boeing 737-2H4Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, registration number N86SW, broke while the airliner was flying over southern OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
enroute from Love Field to Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, causing the engine to hang from the wing at a steep angle; the flight crew shut down the engine and returned to Love Field, landing safely. The incident was attributed to improper installation of the rear engine mount bolt, causing the rear engine mount to fail as the aircraft encountered uneven pavement during the takeoff roll. - December 5, 1987: After suffering an engine fire en route from Love Field to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the flight crew of a Hawker Siddeley HS.125British Aerospace BAe 125The British Aerospace 125 is a twin-engined mid-size corporate jet, with newer variants now marketed as the Hawker 800. It was known as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 until 1977...
business jetBusiness jetBusiness jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
, registration number N400PH, touched down short of the runway while attempting an emergency landing at Blue Grass AirportBlue Grass AirportBlue Grass Airport is a public airport located in Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, 4 miles west of the central business district of the city of Lexington. The main terminal building was opened in 1977. The airport covers an area of and has two runways. It is also home to the Aviation...
in Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. The jet crossed a highway and struck an automobile, utility poles, and 2 fences, killing the pilot and co-pilot, and injuring both passengers in the aircraft and 2 people in the automobile. The accident was attributed to the crew's inadvertent retraction of the aircraft's flapsFlap (aircraft)Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
, causing the jet to suddenly lose altitude. - July 17, 1992: A Piper PA-28R-201T Arrow IIIPiper CherokeeThe Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
, registration number N6959C, bound for Love Field from New Iberia, LouisianaNew Iberia, LouisianaNew Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
, broke up in the thunderstorm near Tool, TexasTool, TexasTool is a city in Henderson County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,275 at the 2000 census. Located on the west side of Cedar Creek Lake, it is a popular second home and retiree destination.-Geography:Tool is located at ....
, killing its pilot and sole occupant. - October 25, 1999: In the 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash1999 South Dakota Learjet crashOn October 25, 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 was scheduled to fly from Orlando, Florida to Dallas, Texas. Early in the flight the aircraft, which was cruising at altitude on autopilot, gradually lost cabin pressure. As a result, all on board were incapacitated due to hypoxia— a lack of oxygen...
, a Learjet 35 private jet suffered an apparent loss of cabin pressure after departing Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
bound for Love Field; the jet then drifted off course, running out of fuel and crashing near Aberdeen, South DakotaAberdeen, South DakotaAberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 mi northeast of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census. The American News is the local newspaper...
. Among the six occupants killed were golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
star Payne StewartPayne StewartWilliam Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
and Bruce BorlandBruce BorlandBruce Borland was a golf course designer who worked for Jack Nicklaus. He died in the 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash on October 25, 1999 while traveling with golf Hall of Famer Payne Stewart.-Biography:...
, a highly regarded golf course architect. - April 11, 2002: A Bell 206BBell 206The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, registration number N513FD, experienced a sudden loss of power over north Dallas while carrying 3 radio-station traffic reporters on a local flight from Love Field; the pilot executed a hard landing on nearby Midway Road under autorotationAutorotation (helicopter)Autorotation is the state of flight where the main rotor system of a helicopter is being turned by the action of air moving up through the rotor rather than engine power driving the rotor...
, substantially damaging the aircraft and injuring 1 passenger. The power loss was attributed to improper installation of critical engine parts.
External links
- Dallas Love Field (official site)
- Friends of Love Field