Editing Howard Hughes (section)

====Fatal crash of the Sikorsky S-43====
[[File:Howard Hughes S-43 Sikorsky.jpg|thumb|The S-43 Sikorsky in [[Brazoria County Airport]] in Texas]]
[[File:Howard R Hughes S-43 Sikorsky.jpg|thumb|[[Brazoria County Airport]] Texas: The S-43 Sikorsky prototype]]
In the spring of 1943 Hughes spent nearly a month in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], test-flying his [[Sikorsky S-43]] amphibious aircraft, practicing touch-and-go landings on [[Lake Mead]] in preparation for flying the [[H-4 Hercules]].<!---(He personally hated the name "Spruce Goose" that the media gave to the aircraft.)---> The weather conditions at the lake during the day were ideal and he enjoyed Las Vegas at night. On May 17, 1943, Hughes flew the Sikorsky from California, carrying two [[United States government role in civil aviation#Civil Aeronautics Authority|Civil Aeronautics Authority]] (CAA) aviation inspectors, two of his employees, and actress [[Ava Gardner]]. Hughes dropped Gardner off in Las Vegas and proceeded to Lake Mead to conduct qualifying tests in the S-43. The test flight did not go well. The Sikorsky crashed into Lake Mead, killing CAA inspector Ceco Cline and Hughes' employee Richard Felt. Hughes suffered a severe gash on the top of his head when he hit the upper control panel and had to be rescued by one of the others on board.<ref>[http://www.aviatorhowardhughes.com/hughes-lasvegas.htm "Hughes: Las Vegas."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328094805/http://www.aviatorhowardhughes.com/hughes-lasvegas.htm |date=March 28, 2012}} ''aviatorhowardhughes.com''. Retrieved: July 31, 2011.</ref> Hughes paid divers $100,000 to raise the aircraft and later spent more than $500,000 restoring it.<ref>Brown and Broeske 1996</ref> Hughes sent the plane to Houston, where it remained for many years.<ref name=Noah/>{{rp|186}}