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Metro Airlines, originally Houston Metro Airlines, was a commuter airline that was originally headquartered in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Metro subsequently moved its headquarters to north Texas. The airline had an operational base located on the grounds of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and also had offices on the airport property and in
Grapevine, Texas Grapevine is a city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States, with minor portions extending into Dallas County, Texas, Dallas and Denton County, Texas, Denton counties. Its population was 50,631 in the 2020 United States Census, ...
. Metro evolved into an airline holding
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
with the acquisition or creation of a number of different airlines, including as the banner carrier (commercial aviation) operating feeder services for
Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
as Eastern Metro Express which was based in Atlanta, GA and Metroflight which operated American Eagle service from the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1993, and the assets were acquired by AMR Simmons Airlines. File:Metro Airlines DHC Twin Otter.jpg, Metro Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otter at DFW File:Metro Airlines Shorts 330.jpg, Metro Airlines Shorts 330 at DFW


History

In 1969 the airline was founded to serve the Houston area with "cross-town" flights.Weiss, Michael.
METRO AIRLINES TO SHIFT SERVICE FROM HOUSTON
" ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
''. August 14, 1985. Retrieved on March 25, 2009.
Houston Metro Airlines constructed their own 2,500 foot, short take-off and landing (
STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
) airstrip along with a passenger terminal building and maintenance hangar adjacent to Clear Lake City, Texas near the NASA Johnson Space Center. The Clear Lake City STOLport was essentially Houston Metro's own private airport. The airline's initial route linked Clear Lake City (CLC) with Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) which opened in 1969. In early 1970, Houston Metro was operating two routes: Clear Lake City - Houston Intercontinental and Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) - Houston Intercontinental. The February 1, 1970 Houston Metro timetable lists 24 round trip flights every weekday between the CLC
STOLport A STOLport or STOLPORT was an airport designed with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) operations in mind, usually for an aircraft class of a certain weight and size. The term "STOLport" did not appear to be in common usage as of 2008, although wa ...
and Houston Intercontinental and 14 round trip flights every weekday between Houston Hobby and Houston Intercontinental. According to the February 1976 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the airline was operating 22 roundtrip flights every weekday in its passenger shuttle operation between Clear Lake City and Houston Intercontinental. The route system was later expanded to include a number of destinations in southeast and south Texas with flights to Houston Intercontinental. At one point, the airline also flew between Laredo, TX (LRD) and San Antonio, TX (SAT). All initial Houston Metro service was operated with
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. Built by De Havilland Canada from 1965 to 1988, Viking ...
twin turboprop
STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
aircraft as the Clear Lake City STOLport was specifically designed for this aircraft. Additional new service was later extended to Lafayette, LA (LFT) and Lake Charles, LA (LCH) with flights to Houston Intercontinental (IAH) with these services being operated with larger Short 330 twin turboprop aircraft. The Short 330 was also utilized by Metro for flights between IAH and Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPT) where one was destroyed by a tornado in 1983 while sitting empty on the airport ramp (see Accidents and incidents below). In 1972 the airline carried between 90,000 and 100,000 passengers per year. It displayed a profit of $156,510 U.S. dollars in an eight-month period. In early 1974, to capitalize on a perception among Dallas residents that
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport in the neighborhood of Love Field, Dallas, Love Field, northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 17, 2025. It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas Fort Worth Internation ...
was more convenient than the newly-opened
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas region, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartere ...
(DFW), Metroflight inaugurated seven-minute Twin Otter flights between Love and DFW. Airfare was only $10 , advertised as less than a typical one-way taxi fare between Dallas and DFW. However, the service proved unprofitable, and it was discontinued in September 1975. In 1978 Metro entered the "stand up widebody cabin age" when the first orders for five (5) Short 330 twin turboprops were announced

These Irish-manufactured aircraft would be used to complement the Twin Otters already in use on higher demand routes as well as new service to Lafayette, LA and Lake Charles, LA and offered far more comfortable seating for passengers. The addition of the 30 passenger Short 330 turboprops required Metro to make provisions for
flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
s and also resulted in the carrier joining the ranks of the regional airline industry via its use of larger aircraft. The company was also independently operating flights from the DFW at this time with DHC-6 Twin Otter and Short 330 aircraft with services to several destinations in east Texas with some of these flights continuing on to or originating from Houston Intercontinental (IAH). These Twin Otter and Short 330 passenger services into DFW were flown by the Metroflight Airlines division which would eventually operate American Eagle flights. Metroflight also independently served several destinations in Oklahoma and north Texas from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Oklahoma City (OKC). In 1982 Metro purchased fourteen (14) Convair 580 aircraft from the original
Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines, Inc. is a major American ultra low-cost airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 120 destinations in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, and employs more than 5,000 staff. ...
. These 50 passenger twin turboprops were then used to initiate the first ever American Eagle service via a new
code sharing A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...
passenger feed agreement with
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
. The Convair 580 aircraft were operated by the Metroflight Airlines division which also flew DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft on American Eagle services. Metro Airlines operated out of DFW via its wholly owned Metroflight division under the American Eagle brand beginning on November 1, 1984. In 1985 the airline announced that it would end service to Houston Intercontinental Airport (now
George Bush Intercontinental Airport George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport upon its opening in 1969, it was renamed in ho ...
). Royale Airlines, a commuter/regional air carrier based in Louisiana, then assumed many of the routes that were previously operated by Metro into Houston. However, in 1987 Royale declared bankruptcy and ceased all scheduled passenger flight operations.


Acquisitions and subsidiaries

Metro Airlines spun off its certificated airline, being Metro Airlines, and formed an airline holding company. Among the commuter and regional air carriers acquired or created by Metro were: * Brockway Air - acquired in the summer of 1989, Metro changed Brockway's name to Metro Air Northeast, and operated as a banner carrier codeshare partner flying as TWExpress on behalf of
Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...
( TWA). * Chaparral Airlines - purchased in 1987 by Metro Airlines; its aircraft were merged into the operations of wholly owned subsidiary Metroflight for "the American Eagle codeshare branded banner flying". Chaparral had operated American Eagle service primarily from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on behalf of
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
before being merged into Metroflight in 1990. * Metro Express also operated as American Eagle from 1985 through 1987 flying
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...
BAe Jetstream 31 and Short 330 turboprop aircraft from DFW. Metro Express was then merged in with Chaparral Airlines. * Metro Express II - spun off from the original Metro Airlines for "the Eastern Express codeshare branded banner flying". This regional airline was based in Atlanta, GA and operated as Eastern Metro Express flying
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...
BAe Jetstream 31 and de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 twin turboprop aircraft. Eastern Metro Express provided passenger feed at the
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
hub located at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL). * Sunaire - name changed to Aviation Associates. This commuter air carrier operated as Eastern Express in the Caribbean flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops and providing passenger feed at the
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
hub located at the
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín'') , previously known as Isla Verde International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde''), ...
(SJU). Service was flown to St. Croix (STX), St. Thomas (STT), Tortola, BVI (EIS), Virgin Gorda, BVI (VIJ), Mayaguez, PR (MAZ), and St. Maarten, N.A. (SXM), and other short haul destinations in the Caribbean. The Eastern Express service was primarily operated from San Juan although point-to-point flights between various other islands were flown as well. The Twin Otter was well suited for flights into
Virgin Gorda Virgin Gorda () is the third-largest island (after Tortola and Anegada) and second-most populous of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Geography Located at about 18 degrees, 30 minutes North, and 64 degrees, 30 minutes West, it covers an area o ...
as the airport runway on this island was an unpaved sand and gravel airstrip at the time. *Eastern Metro Express - Metro also operated feeder services as Eastern Express for
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
to and from Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) during the mid-1980s flying de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops. Destinations served on a nonstop basis from IAH by this Eastern Express service included Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT); Clear Lake City, TX (CLC), Lake Charles, LA (LCH); Longview, TX (GGG); Sugar Land, TX (SGR); Tyler, TX (TYR); and Victoria, TX (VCT). Metro was also operating Eastern Express service at this time from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) with service to Laredo, TX (LRD)departedflights.com, Feb. 15, 1985 edition Official Airline Guide (OAG)


Bankruptcy

In 1991 Metro went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and then in May 1993 Metro Airlines went completely out of business. The airline assets were promptly purchased and renamed by AMR Corporation whom were already involved with Metro Airlines by way of the "banner carrier" codeshare flying that Metro performed for AMR via its Metroflight division with these services being created cooperatively by the legacy carrier, being
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
, and the
regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, being Metro subsidiary Metroflight, as American Eagle during the mid-1980s. Under AMR many of Metroflight's assets found their way over to Simmons Airlines. Houston Metro's original home, being the Clear Lake City
STOLport A STOLport or STOLPORT was an airport designed with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) operations in mind, usually for an aircraft class of a certain weight and size. The term "STOLport" did not appear to be in common usage as of 2008, although wa ...
located in the Houston area near the NASA Johnson Space Center, was abandoned and subsequently demolished in order to make way for suburban development. There is currently no trace of this pioneering airfield to be seen. In later years, Continental Express, a regional airline and a regional airline brand; and at that time survivor of the post-deregulation and highly controversial Houston based
Texas Air Corporation Texas Air Corporation, also known as Texas Air, was an airline holding company in the United States, incorporated in June 1980 by airline investor Frank Lorenzo to hold and invest in airlines. The company had its headquarters in the America T ...
Continental Airlines Continental Airlines (simply known as Continental) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1934 until it merged with United Airlines in 2012. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continen ...
and
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
acquisition years, operated scheduled passenger air service from
Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegi ...
(EFD) near the former site of the Clear Lake City STOLport. Much like the original Houston Metro, and subsequent Eastern Metro Express short hop operations by amicable partner Metro Airlines; short hop Continental Express flights commenced during the 1980s, utilizing ATR-42 and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops and then Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets to transport connecting passengers across the city to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). However, this service was finally discontinued as well.


Destinations

;Houston Metro and Metro These destinations were served by Houston Metro Airlines during and after its name change to Metro Airlines from its Clear Lake City headquarters, with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprops and/or Short 330 turboprops: * Beaumont/ Port Arthur, TX ( BPT) * Brazoria County, TX (Brazosport) ( LBX)* * Clear Lake City, TX
STOLport A STOLport or STOLPORT was an airport designed with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) operations in mind, usually for an aircraft class of a certain weight and size. The term "STOLport" did not appear to be in common usage as of 2008, although wa ...
(CLC)** * Corpus Christi, TX ( CRP) * Galveston, TX ( GLS) * Houston, TX ( IAH)* - Hub * Lafayette, LA ( LFT) * Lake Charles, LA (LCH) * Lake Jackson, TX (LJN)** * Laredo, TX ( LRD) * San Antonio, TX (
SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...
) * Sugarland/Houston, TX Hull Field ( SGR)* * Victoria, TX ( VCT) ; * Renamed Airports : Brazoria County Airport (LBX), Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Hull Field (SGR) ; ** Permanently Deactivated Airports : Clear Lake City STOLport (CLC), Lake Jackson (LJN)


Destinations on behalf of American, Eastern and Trans World Airlines

;Metroflight destinations d/b/a American Airlines Metroflight These destinations were initially served independently by the Metroflight division with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft: * Altus, OK (AXS) * Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (DFW) - Hub * Enid, OK (WDG) * Houston, TX (IAH) * Lawton, OK (LAW) * Longview, TX (GGG) * Lufkin, TX (LFK) * McAlester, OK (MLC) * Nacogdoches, TX (OCH) * Oklahoma City, OK (OKC) - Hub * Paris, TX (PRX) * Ponca City, OK (PNC) * Stillwater, OK (SWO) * Tyler, TX (TYR) * Wichita Falls, TX (SPS) Metroflight began codeshare services for
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
on November 1, 1984 flying Convair 580 turboprops as American Eagle to the following destinations: *Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT) *Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) - Hub *Fayettteville, AR (FYV) *Fort Smith, AR (FSM) *Lafayette, LA (LFT) *Lake Charles, LA (LCH) *Lawton, OK (LAW) *Longview, TX (GGG) *Springfield, MO (SGF) *Tyler, TX (TYR) Saab 340 turboprop aircraft and additional destinations were added beginning in late 1987. ;Metro Express destinations d/b/a American Eagle (1985 through 1987) These destinations were served with British Aerospace Jetstream 31 and/or Short 330 turboprops: *College Station, TX (CLL) *Dallas/Fort Worth, TX (DFW) - Hub *Kileen, TX (ILE) *Monroe, LA (MLU) *San Angelo, TX (SJT) *Texarkana, TX/AR (TXK) *Waco, TX (ACT) *Wichita Falls, TX (SPS) ;Metro Express II destinations d/b/a Eastern Metro Express These destinations were served with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 turboprops and/or with de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 turboprops: * Albany, GA (ABY) * Asheville, NC (AVL) * Atlanta, GA (ATL) - Hub * Augusta, GA (AGS) * Bristol/Kingsport/Johnson City (TRI, the Tri-Cities Regional Airport serving this area in TN and VA) * Chattanooga, TN (CHA) * Columbus, GA (CGS) * Dothan, AL (DHN) * Ft. Walton Beach, FL (VPS) * Gulfport/Biloxi, MS (GPT) * Hilton Head Island, SC (HHH) * Huntsville, AL (HSV) * Knoxville, TN (TYS) * Lexington, KY (LEX) * Macon, GA (MCN) * Moultrie, GA (MGR) (''one flight a day'') * Montgomery, AL (MGM) * Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR) * Panama City, FL (PFN, airport now closed) * Wilmington, NC (ILM) ;Aviation Associates destinations d/b/a Eastern Express After the acquisition of the airlines "Sunaire" and the subsequent name change to "Aviation Associates," de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 250 & 300 turboprops served the following destinations: * San Juan, PR (SJU) - Hub * Fajardo, PR (FAJ) * Mayaguez, PR (MAZ) * Ponce, PR (PSE) * Vieques, PR (VQS) * St. Croix, USVI (STX) - Hub * St. Thomas, USVI (STT) * Tortola/Beef Island, BVI (EIS) * Virgin Gorda, BVI (VIJ) * St. Maarten, N.A. (SXM) ;Metro (Houston, TX division) - Destinations d/b/a Eastern Express Many of these destinations were previously served by Metro Airlines on an independent basis prior to a marketing alliance with Eastern Airlines and were operated with Metro's very own DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft: * Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX (BPT); * Clear Lake City, TX (CLC), * Lake Charles, LA (LCH); * Longview, TX (GGG); * Sugar Land, TX (SGR); * Tyler, TX (TYR); and * Victoria, TX (VCT). Metro was also operating Eastern Express service at this time from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) with service to Laredo, TX (LRD) ;Metro Air Northeast destinations d/b/a TWExpress After the acquisition of the airline "Brockway Air" and its subsequent name change to "Metro Air Northeast," Beech-1900C and Saab-340A commuter aircraft served the following destinations upon TWA's TWExpress network: *See Brockway Air Destinations


Fleet

*
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...
BAe Jetstream 31 (flown by Eastern Metro Express on behalf of
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
and based in Atlanta, GA) * Beechcraft Model 99 *
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. Built by De Havilland Canada from 1965 to 1988, Viking ...
(originally operated by Houston Metro and later by Metro and Metroflight. Also operated as Eastern Express in the Caribbean and in feeder services from both Houston Intercontinental Airport and San Antonio International Airport as Eastern Express on behalf of
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
) * de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 (flown by Eastern Metro Express on behalf of
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
and based in Atlanta, GA) * Short 330 * Convair 580 (aircraft were branded and operated as American Eagle flights)


Accidents and incidents

* Beechcraft 99 crashed upon takeoff from Galveston in 1974. * Short 330 destroyed by a
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
at
Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, located in Southeast Texas on the Neches River about east of Houston (city ...
on May 20, 1983. * On September 3, 1987, an Eastern Metro Express pilot fell off a Beechcraft 99 as the airplane was flying from Lewiston Municipal Airport in
Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...
to Boston Logan International Airport in
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. The plane's co-pilot was able to land at
Portland International Jetport Portland International Jetport , locally known as the Jetport, is a public airport two miles (3 km) west of downtown Portland, Maine, Portland, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the City of Portland. A portion of the Jetpo ...
in
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
, after declaring an emergency. The pilot was hanging from some cable railings and his feet were stuck on the plane's door jamb, and he missed being decapitated by only six inches once the airplane touched down on the runway. The pilot and co-pilot were the only occupants; the pilot had a hand injury but they both survived.


See also

* List of defunct airlines of the United States


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, United States, Texas, Companies, Aviation Defunct regional airlines of the United States Companies based in Grapevine, Texas Defunct companies based in Texas American Airlines Airlines established in 1969 1969 establishments in Texas Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991 1993 disestablishments in Texas