History of Flight
The flight departed Stillwater Regional Airport at about 1415 central standard time, destined for North Little Rock Municipal Airport. The airplane had landed at Stillwater around 1345 to pick up two passengers. Radar data showed the airplane at 7,000 feet msl on a southeasterly heading. At 1610:49, it entered a right turn and descended, then disappeared from radar. Witnesses near the accident site observed the airplane flying low, making turns, then entering a steep nose-low attitude before descending to the terrain. There were no air traffic control communications.
Personnel
The pilot, aged 82, held a commercial pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate. He had a third-class medical certificate with corrective lens restriction. His logbook showed over 2,200 total hours, with over 350 in the accident airplane. The last flight review was on April 9, 2010. He was a graduate and contributor to Oklahoma State University and volunteered his flight services.
The passenger seated behind the pilot, aged 79, held a private pilot certificate. She had over 1,145 hours, most in the accident airplane. Her last medical was on August 26, 2011, with no restrictions.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, a 1964 Piper PA-28-180, was a single-engine, low-wing, fixed landing gear, four-seat aircraft. It was powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 engine. The last annual inspection was completed on November 8, 2011, at a total time of 5,800.8 hours. The muffler was repaired during that inspection.
Meteorological Information
Weather at Russellville Regional Airport at 1553 indicated wind from 200 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 52°F, dew point 19°F, barometric pressure 30.35 inches of mercury. No hazards were forecast along the route.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was in a heavily wooded area of Ouachita National Forest, about 8 miles southwest of Perryville. The initial ground impact scar indicated the right wing leading edge contacted the ground first. An impact crater about 10 feet in diameter and 3.5 feet deep contained most of the airplane. The airplane was approximately 50 to 60 degrees nose low at impact. Debris was distributed in a V-shaped field about 80 yards long. Flight control cables were fractured in overload. Cockpit instrumentation was damaged or destroyed. The propeller showed leading edge polishing, chordwise scratches, and S-bending; the hub was fractured in torsional overload. No preimpact anomalies were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot determined cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, ruled an accident. The remains condition did not allow identification of medical conditions. Toxicological tests found no ethanol or drugs in muscle.
Additional Information
Selection of seats: the pilot decided the male passenger would sit in the right pilot seat; the female passenger and pilot-rated passenger sat in the rear.
Seat belts: forward two restraint buckles were latched; rear ones were unlatched. Rear belts showed overload fractures.
Night flight requirements: neither pilot had logbook documentation for night currency requirements under 14 CFR 61.57, although the planned return would have included a night landing around 2300.
Donor flight program: Oklahoma State University had limited oversight of donor flights. Coaches and staff arranged travel directly with donors. No verification of pilot qualifications or airplane inspections was required. The university has since modified its travel policy to include coaches and staff in oversight similar to student athletes.