WEST MONTGOMERY COUNTY – An experimental aircraft crashed late Sunday afternoon on FM 1488 just east of Magnolia, leaving the pilot with serious injuries.
Mark R. Gibson, 47, of Tomball was flying the Manta 503, which is a home built aircraft.
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According to Trooper Pullen with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Gibson left Tomball earlier in the afternoon from an area near May Field. He was southbound when he struck power lines approximately 30 feet high, and crashed to the ground. When the Magnolia Fire Department and MCHD medics arrived on the scene, Gibson was trapped in the wreckage. Poor weather conditions prevented medical helicopters from responding, so Gibson was transported by ground ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
DPS maintained the scene until representatives arrived from the Federal Aviation Administration arrived and began their investigation.
