Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch Wednesday, September 17, 1997
Add to My HeroesGeorge Maurice Hendrix, Jr.
Lieutenant George Hendrix and Investigator Thomas Smith were killed when their Bell OH-58A helicopter crashed at Kenneth Copeland Airport.
Lieutenant Hendrix was piloting the aircraft, one of two donated to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office by the United States military.
Witnesses stated that the helicopter had just taken off when it plummeted straight down. Bystanders pulled both deputies from the wreckage and administered CPR but were unable to save them due to intensive spinal, head, and internal injuries.
Lieutenant Hendrix was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and served with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office for six years. He had previously served with the Euless Police Department and the Shreveport (Louisiana) Police Department. He was survived by his wife and son.
Bio
- Age 51
- Tour 18 years
- Badge Not available
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Aircraft accident
Related LODD Deaths
Investigator Thomas Jay Smith
Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: September 17, 1997
Most Recent Reflection
View all 18 ReflectionsI was a pilot training at American Flyers Meacham field and I used to wash our Cessnas that were many times parked right next to the helicopter involved in this accident. From time to time I would take a look at its cockpit admiring its complexity and noting the differences between fixed and rotary wing aircraft. It was so sad to see it after the accident, even more so knowing that two brave patriots had lost their lives as a result. I was remembering this sad event and decided to visit this website without knowing that it happened exactly 28 years ago.
Captain Ignacio Manjon
Former employee at Meacham Field
September 17, 2025
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