Photo courtesy of Independence County Sheriff’s Office via WHBQ-TV
The pilot of a plane that crashed into power lines in Independence County later died after he fell. The crash occurred Sunday afternoon north of Batesville in the rural community of Pfeiffer.
According to White River Now, officials say the male was piloting a small, single-engine aircraft when it became entangled in power lines nearly 150 feet above the ground. The pilot, who solo in the plane, was reportedly unharmed when the aircraft first became caught, but he fell a few hours later and succumbed to his injuries.
Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens released a statement Monday morning and said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will lead the investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The name of the pilot has not been released.
The Arkansas Army National Guard departed Camp Robinson around 6:30 Sunday evening to assist in an apparent rescue operation, but according to FlightAware.com, the helicopter returned to North Little Rock roughly 20 minutes into the flight.
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