Incident Details
A pilot departed Pine Bluff, Arkansas, for a local flight and landed in Clarksdale, Mississippi. After landing, the pilot informed a lineman that he had been flying for 60 years, was lost, almost out of gas, had no maps, and did not know how to get home. The lineman offered to fly with the pilot back to Pine Bluff or drive him home, but the pilot declined. The pilot then departed Clarksdale en route to Pine Bluff.
A witness near Double Springs, Alabama, observed the airplane approaching at a very low altitude above the trees. The airplane turned left, flew over a day care center, made another turn, and headed south. Shortly after, the witness heard an impact noise. The witness told his mother he thought an airplane had crashed. They went to a friend's house near the crash site, approached the edge of a wood line, and saw a flashing red light. They called out, and the pilot responded, walking out of the wood line. The pilot told them he had been involved in a vehicle accident.
Pilot's Condition
In an interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated he had no idea how he ended up in Double Springs, Alabama. The pilot had been diagnosed by his private physician with dementia since 2003 but had concealed that diagnosis from the FAA.
Aircraft Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was accelerated forward. The left wing was separated from the airframe, and its leading edge was compressed inward. The left and right flaps were fully extended. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, or accessories.