A North Little Rock man died Monday after the single-engine airplane he was piloting crashed in Lonoke County, according to the Lonoke County sheriff's office.
Deputies responded to a report of a downed aircraft about 5:37 p.m. Monday in woods near the South Bend community, about 5 miles west of Lonoke, Lt. David Bufford said. Upon arrival, Bufford and other responders found a Hawk Arrow II light sport plane lodged in a treetop 25-30 feet above the ground.
The pilot, George Smith, 75, of 5501 N. Walnut Road, was found on the ground beneath the plane, Bufford said. He said Smith, who had released himself from the plane's seat belt and fallen to the ground, was injured but lucid when deputies arrived.
Bufford said Smith told him his plane had lost power while banking. Weather in the area was clear Monday evening. Smith was taken by helicopter to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, where he died about an hour and a half later, Bufford said.
Smith's body was transported to the state Crime Laboratory, he said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Metro on 10/22/2014