TALIHINA, Okla. -- The National Transportation Safety Board said an Arkansas pilot killed in an Oklahoma plane crash did not obtain a weather briefing before his flight and that he flew into an area of known rain.
The 2013 crash near Talihina killed Ray Broadbent, 71, of Heber Springs. The wreckage was found Oct. 24 in a heavily wooded area after Broadbent's family notified authorities that he never reached his destination.
Broadbent had left Searcy on Oct. 21 on a flight to Elk City, Okla.
The safety board report released Wednesday said the probable cause of the crash was the pilot's lack of weather planning and his continued flight into moderate to heavy rain that led to reduced visibility, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance above trees in the area.
State Desk on 08/03/2014