Federal authorities are investigating a plane crash in Arkansas that claimed the life of a Mississippi doctor.
The deadly crash took place in Clinton, Arkansas, on Tuesday around 2:27 p.m. The pilot of the privately owned Beech 58 Baron was identified as 68-year-old Robert Phillip Mathis of Corinth.
Mathis initially departed north Mississippi at 7:14 a.m. and landed in Fayetteville around 9 a.m. He then departed the Arkansas city at 1:56 p.m. and crashed a little over 30 minutes later due to a “trim issue.” A small fire broke out after the accident, but it did not spread.
According to authorities, dispatchers in Van Buren County, where the crash occurred, were notified by the Federal Aviation Administration about a plane with engine failure around 2 p.m.
NTSB investigating the Oct. 29 crash of a Beech 58 Baron aircraft near Clinton, Arkansas.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 30, 2024
Rescue crews, a private aircraft, and two National Guard Blackhawk helicopters flew over the area of the accident and found the wrecked plane in what was described as a “debris field.” It took a ground team of rescuers over four hours to reach the site of the crash.
Mathis was previously a surgeon at Magnolia Health Center in Corinth. His plane was registered to Mathis Timber LLC. He was alone on the fatal flight.
Last year, Mississippi business owner and former legislator Johnny Morgan passed away in a plane crash in Arkansas.
The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and state police in Arkansas will take charge of the investigation into Tuesday’s crash.
