SPARROW RIDGE AIRPORT

Sparrow Ridge Airport, a small out-of-the-way airstrip in a barren desert region of Arizona about 62 miles from Fairmont, does a small business in handling private planes, rentals, and charter flights for visitors and fishing trips to Mexico. Nielson Flying School had also offered hourly instruction in fixed wing airplanes and helicopters. Nielson's daughter, Kelly, had remained to help run the place, along with Dave Redding, who used to work for Kelly's father, and Al Tennyson, the short order cook in the airport's small diner.

MacGyver had stumbled upon the remote airstrip while looking for nearby Sparrow Lake, and when he stopped there to ask for directions, he was drawn into a hostage situation. Terry Andrews and his partners, Buddy, Turk, and Elias, had stolen an armored car in Dallas and had transported it to Arizona in a moving van. They took over Sparrow Ridge Airport and held Kelly, Dave, Al, and MacGyver hostage as they awaited the arrival of a charter flight which they intended to hijack to make their escape across the border into Mexico. The hostages probably would have been killed, however MacGyver was able to elude capture and prevent the criminals from escaping. They were apprehended and held in custody.

Cross Reference: Terry Andrews, Arizona, Buddy, Elias, Kelly Nielson, Dave Redding, Al Tennyson, Turk, Walt

Episode Reference: Last Stand