The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Little Rock, Arkansas
Cirrus; Duluth, Minnesota
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Cirrus Owners & Pilots Association; Las Vegas, Nevada
Location: Chester, AR
Accident Number: CEN20LA379
Date & Time: 09/04/2020, 2055 CDT
Registration: N733CD
Aircraft: Cirrus SR22
Injuries: 4 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On September 4, 2020, about 2055 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR22 airplane, N733CD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Chester, Arkansas. The private pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to initial information, the accident pilot called his flight instructor/airplane mechanic at the Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport (MKO), near Muskogee, Oklahoma, on September 4, 2020, about 1900, and advised the mechanic that he intended to fly to North Carolina. The mechanic advised the pilot to leave in the morning. Fueling records showed the accident airplane was refueled about 1949, with 36.41 gallons of 100 low lead aviation gasoline.
According to initial radar data, the airplane departed from MKO about 2027. The airplane flew eastward, had climbed up through 8,500 ft, and the pilot established radio communication with an air traffic controller. The pilot was asked by the controller where the flight was destined and the pilot said it was Pickens County Airport, near Pickens, South Carolina. The airplane was radar-identified, was issued depicted weather, and the controller suggested a 20° right turn for the weather. The airplane flew about 4 four miles on this heading and then reversed course. The flight was queried on its heading and the pilot replied that they were returning to MKO. The airplane was observed on a northwest heading by the controller who asked the pilot if he still intended to return to MKO, and advised the pilot that the airplane appeared to be on a heading of 340°. The pilot replied that the airplane had been caught by the wind and he was correcting its course. However, the airplane turned northeast and began descending. The controller issued the flight a 20° left turn and no response was received in reference to that turn. The controller then advised the flight to turn left heading 270°. The pilot acknowledged the 270° heading. The airplane continued to descend and turn right. The controller then advised that the flight appeared to be losing altitude rapidly and advised the pilot to level the airplane's wings, and fly southbound. The controller subsequently queried the flight multiple times, advised that radar contact was lost, and no response was received. An alert notice was issued, a search conducted, and the wreckage was found in wooded terrain on September 5, 2020.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The 31-year-old pilot reported that he had accumulated 11 hours of total flight time and 11 hours of flight in last six months before his last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examination for a third-class medical certificate dated November 29, 2017, issued with no limitations. The pilot was given a notice of disapproval after his initial attempt at a private pilot examination on October 27, 2019. The pilot's areas of deficiency were in preflight preparation, operation of systems, which included knowledge of constant speed propellers and knowledge of instruments associated with the pitot and vacuum systems. The pilot successfully passed the retesting for his private pilot certificate on November 3, 2019.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
According to its website, Cirrus Embark is a program designed exclusively for new owners of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft. The program includes complimentary training to address the specific needs of pilots and owners of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft. The program consists of a maximum of 3 full days of flight training. The pilot requested and was granted this training program on January 13, 2020. According to initial information, the pilot accumulated about 100 to 120 hours of total time at the time of his application. Direct owners or designated pilots of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft must enroll into Cirrus Embark within 30 days of aircraft delivery. Once enrolled into the program, the owner or designated pilot must complete the training within 60 days. According to Cirrus training records, the pilot completed all the flight training lessons. However, he did not complete all the online self-study lessons.
The accident airplane was a four-place, single engine, low-wing airplane. An FAA bill of sale document showed the airplane was sold to the accident pilot on January 4, 2020. According to copies of airplane logbook entries, an annual inspection was completed on June 2, 2020 and the airplane accumulated 2,053.8 hours of total time at the time of that inspection. The airplane was equipped with an ARNAV Systems, Inc ICDS (integrated cockpit display system) 2000 unit, which is a moving map multifunction display that also displays engine data.
The airplane was fitted with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) advertised by the airplane manufacturer to recover the airplane and its occupants to the ground in the event of an in-flight emergency. The CAPS contains a parachute (within a deployment bag) located within a fiberglass CAPS enclosure compartment, a solid-propellant rocket contained within a launch tube to deploy the parachute, a pick-up collar assembly and attached Teflon-coated steel cable lanyard and incremental bridle, a rocket activation system that consisted of an activation T-handle, an activation cable, and a rocket igniter, and a harness assembly which attached the parachute to the fuselage.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane impacted wooded terrain about 22 miles north of the Fort Smith Regional Airport, Fort Smith, Arkansas. An FAA inspector examined and documented the wreckage site. A section of upper tree canopy exhibited signs consistent with blighting. The wreckage path exhibited a descending path, about 30° down, through the woods from the upper canopy to the engine and cabin impact site had a heading of about 220°. The debris field, which started about the area of blighting and continued southwest beyond the cabin and engine impact area was consistent with this heading as well. Charring and discoloration consistent with a small ground fire was present on items in the impact area. The propeller was found separated from the engine, and a propeller blade was separated just outboard of its hub. The remaining two blades exhibited leading edge nicks and gouges. A portion of the CAPS parachute was strewn out in the debris field northeast of the impact area and the remainder of the CAPS parachute was observed in its deployment bag. The CAPS rocket was found in a ravine about 200 ft north of the impact site. Components of the wings, engine, empennage, and fuselage were identified at the accident site. The cockpit instrumentation was fragmented, and no useful information was able to be collected from them. However, non-volatile memory installed in the ICDS unit has been retained to see if it contains data in reference to the accident flight.
The airplane and engine were recovered and have been retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cirrus
Registration: N733CD
Model/Series: SR22 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFSM, 449 ft msl
Observation Time: 2053 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 22 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / 21°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm / ,
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Muskogee, OK (MKO)
Destination: Pickens, SC (LQK)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 3 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.686111, -94.252500 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
CHECOTAH, Oklahoma — A family is in mourning following a plane crash that left four people dead, including a child.
The family from Checotah was flying to South Carolina to visit extended family Friday for the holiday weekend when their plane crashed in Crawford County, Arkansas, 21 miles north of Fort Smith.
Paul “PD”, 57, Kevin, 32, Holly, 29, and 7-year-old Gavin Herron all died in the crash. Kevin and Holly are married, Gavin is their son, and Paul is Kevin’s dad. The three adults all graduated from Checotah High School.
Kevin served in the U.S. Marines for four years, including three deployments abroad. Holly was finishing up school to become a teacher. Gavin was a student at Marshall Elementary School in Checotah, and loved Legos and Batman.
Paul was well known in the community and served as assistant fire chief at the FAIC Volunteer Fire Department until 2017.
The family all loves the outdoors and lived life to the fullest.
Family of the victims says they are grateful for the love, support, and prayers from the community, saying in a statement, “PD, Kevin, Holly as well as Gavin all lived life to the fullest. They loved their families, they loved their work, and enjoyed everything life had to offer. We want the memories of the life they lived to outlast the tragedy of their death”
You can donate to the funeral costs here.
https://www.fox23.com
Kevin Herron, center, and his seven-year-old son Gavin, right, have fun riding logs with Gavin's uncle David Ward during a family outing in Checotah. Kevin and Gavin along with David's sister and Kevin's wife Holley and Kevin's father Paul were killed in a plane crash on September 4th, 2020 outside of Chester, Arkansas, in Crawford County.
Amanda Schulz of Checotah said the Herron family is very special to her.
Paula Herron, also a Checotah resident, was a home health nurse for Schulz's special-needs son for seven years. Paula's husband, Paul, 57, along with her son Kevin, 32, Kevin's wife Holley, 29, and their 7-year-old son Gavin were killed Friday night as a result of injuries resulting from a plane crash in Crawford County, Arkansas, just outside the town of Chester.
Paula "was in my home 10-12 hours a day, three to four days a week, helping me take care of my special-needs son," Schulz said. "I've know her about 15 years -- she became part family to me, so I'm very protective of them."
Schulz started a GoFundMe page, "Expenses for Herron Family," to help raise money for funeral expenses.
"Kevin, Holley and Gavin did not have life insurance, so we wanted to take that step to relieve the families of the burden of trying to deal with that on top of the insurmountable issues that they're having with losing their loved ones quite suddenly and all at once," Schulz said. "So the GoFundMe is set up to help with the funeral expenses surrounding that."
Schulz, for the time being, is acting as a spokesperson for the families involved. During a Zoom meeting on Monday, Schulz read a statement prepared by the Herrons and Holley's parents: Dee Ann and Elbert Ward. Family members expressed their gratitude to the community and thanked everyone for their support.
"It's been a long few days, and it's not over," Schulz said. "I could never have imagined being in this situation. I am proud and honored that the families have asked me to represent them."
The four Herrons who perished were traveling to the East Coast to visit family on the East Coast. Because they had been unable to travel due to COVID-19, and decided fly.
Kevin was a sales representative for Snap-On Tools who served four years during three deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a licensed pilot and owned a Cirrus SR22.
Crawford County Sheriff Ron Brown said the plane crashed Friday evening and was found Saturday morning.
Brown said air traffic controllers at the Fort Smith airport tower lost contact with the Cirrus SR22 while trying to help Kevin Herron land at Drake Field near Fayetteville. Brown said the aircraft was destroyed.
"They thought rather than drive and expose themselves to lots of different people and lots of different situations, they had decided that Kevin would fly them to see extended family for the holiday weekend," Schulz said."
Paul, who was known to everyone as PD, served as an assistant chief at the FAIC Volunteer Fire Department until 2017 and worked in the oil fields.
Holley and Kevin graduated from Checotah High School.
Holley attended Connors State College and Northeastern State University. She expected to receive during her test scores Tuesday and find out whether she had qualified for her teaching license.
Gavin was enrolled in at Marshall Elementary.
The Herrons were remembered as a bowling family. Lori Barnard of Fast Lanes Bowl in Checotah said it's a "tragic loss."
"All we can say at Fast Lanes is they will all be missed — greatly," Barnard said. "We are all grieving and very upset right now."
Services remain pending. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Crawford County Sherif
f's Department are still investigating the cause of the crash.
"Any donations will be appreciated," Schulz said. "We are just trying to help a family not have to stress about something like that in a situation like this."
https://www.gofundme.com
https://www.muskogeephoenix.com
 |
The family from Checotah was flying to South Carolina to visit extended family Friday for the holiday weekend when their plane crashed in Crawford County, Arkansas, 21 miles north of Fort Smith.
Paul “PD”, 57, Kevin, 32, Holly, 29, and 7-year-old Gavin Herron all died in the crash. Kevin and Holly are married, Gavin is their son, and Paul is Kevin’s dad. The three adults all graduated from Checotah High School.
Kevin served in the U.S. Marines for four years, including three deployments abroad. Holly was finishing up school to become a teacher. Gavin was a student at Marshall Elementary School in Checotah, and loved Legos and Batman.
Paul was well known in the community and served as assistant fire chief at the FAIC Volunteer Fire Department until 2017.
The family all loves the outdoors and lived life to the fullest.
Family of the victims says they are grateful for the love, support, and prayers from the community, saying in a statement, “PD, Kevin, Holly as well as Gavin all lived life to the fullest. They loved their families, they loved their work, and enjoyed everything life had to offer. We want the memories of the life they lived to outlast the tragedy of their death”
You can donate to the funeral costs here.
https://www.fox23.com
Kevin Herron, center, and his seven-year-old son Gavin, right, have fun riding logs with Gavin's uncle David Ward during a family outing in Checotah. Kevin and Gavin along with David's sister and Kevin's wife Holley and Kevin's father Paul were killed in a plane crash on September 4th, 2020 outside of Chester, Arkansas, in Crawford County.Paula Herron, also a Checotah resident, was a home health nurse for Schulz's special-needs son for seven years. Paula's husband, Paul, 57, along with her son Kevin, 32, Kevin's wife Holley, 29, and their 7-year-old son Gavin were killed Friday night as a result of injuries resulting from a plane crash in Crawford County, Arkansas, just outside the town of Chester.
Paula "was in my home 10-12 hours a day, three to four days a week, helping me take care of my special-needs son," Schulz said. "I've know her about 15 years -- she became part family to me, so I'm very protective of them."
Schulz started a GoFundMe page, "Expenses for Herron Family," to help raise money for funeral expenses.
"Kevin, Holley and Gavin did not have life insurance, so we wanted to take that step to relieve the families of the burden of trying to deal with that on top of the insurmountable issues that they're having with losing their loved ones quite suddenly and all at once," Schulz said. "So the GoFundMe is set up to help with the funeral expenses surrounding that."
Schulz, for the time being, is acting as a spokesperson for the families involved. During a Zoom meeting on Monday, Schulz read a statement prepared by the Herrons and Holley's parents: Dee Ann and Elbert Ward. Family members expressed their gratitude to the community and thanked everyone for their support.
"It's been a long few days, and it's not over," Schulz said. "I could never have imagined being in this situation. I am proud and honored that the families have asked me to represent them."
The four Herrons who perished were traveling to the East Coast to visit family on the East Coast. Because they had been unable to travel due to COVID-19, and decided fly.
Kevin was a sales representative for Snap-On Tools who served four years during three deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a licensed pilot and owned a Cirrus SR22.
Crawford County Sheriff Ron Brown said the plane crashed Friday evening and was found Saturday morning.
Brown said air traffic controllers at the Fort Smith airport tower lost contact with the Cirrus SR22 while trying to help Kevin Herron land at Drake Field near Fayetteville. Brown said the aircraft was destroyed.
"They thought rather than drive and expose themselves to lots of different people and lots of different situations, they had decided that Kevin would fly them to see extended family for the holiday weekend," Schulz said."
Paul, who was known to everyone as PD, served as an assistant chief at the FAIC Volunteer Fire Department until 2017 and worked in the oil fields.
Holley and Kevin graduated from Checotah High School.
Holley attended Connors State College and Northeastern State University. She expected to receive during her test scores Tuesday and find out whether she had qualified for her teaching license.
Gavin was enrolled in at Marshall Elementary.
The Herrons were remembered as a bowling family. Lori Barnard of Fast Lanes Bowl in Checotah said it's a "tragic loss."
"All we can say at Fast Lanes is they will all be missed — greatly," Barnard said. "We are all grieving and very upset right now."
Services remain pending. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and Crawford County Sherif
f's Department are still investigating the cause of the crash.
"Any donations will be appreciated," Schulz said. "We are just trying to help a family not have to stress about something like that in a situation like this."
https://www.gofundme.com
https://www.muskogeephoenix.com
