What happened
On the morning of the accident, the pilot was operating a flight originating in Little Rock, traveling to Atlanta with a scheduled stop in Memphis, before beginning the return leg back to Little Rock. During the final segment from Memphis to Little Rock, air traffic controllers managed a routine descent, clearing the aircraft to descend from 7,000 feet to 2,000 feet for a visual approach to runway 22. At 05:22 CDT, the pilot confirmed the airport was in sight and received clearance for the approach. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported the airport remained visible and was cleared for landing.
At approximately 10:31, radar contact with the aircraft was lost. The plane struck an open field roughly 4 miles west of the airport while maintaining a relatively level descent. Following the initial impact, the aircraft briefly stayed airborne for about 0.75 miles before losing control and crashing into the Arkansas River. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to the pilot's condition and the flight environment. It was noted that the pilot had experienced significant fatigue due to a lack of sleep, having reported only two hours of rest prior to departure. Company staff also observed that the pilot appeared extremely tired during the final leg of the trip. Other contributing elements included poor judgment by the pilot in command, the low-light conditions of dawn, and a failure to properly level off during the descent phase.