Small plane piloted by ex-Wal-Mart exec parachutes onto street

The scene of a small plane crash Tuesday in Fayetteville.
The scene of a small plane crash Tuesday in Fayetteville.

A small plane piloted by a former Wal-Mart executive parachuted onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Fayetteville High School on Tuesday morning, according to authorities.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that three people were on the plane, which hit a truck when it parachuted to the ground, said Sgt. Craig Stout, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department.

Four people were taken to Washington Regional Medical Center. Three of the people were in the plane, and one was in a vehicle that was involved, said Becky Stewart, chief of Central EMS in Fayetteville. She said none of the injuries were serious.

Stout identified those on the plane as Bill Simon, 56, the pilot; Cliff Slincard, 59, the co-pilot; and Maurice Willis, 47, a passenger.

Stout confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the pilot was the same Bill Simon who was president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S. from 2010 to 2014.

Police had released Simon's name earlier but said then that it was unclear if the pilot was the Wal-Mart executive or someone else with the same name.

Simon told The Associated Press that he unfurled an aircraft parachute that brought the plane down, adding that he suffered a burn as his air bag deployed.

He serves on the Baylor University Board of Regents and is an adjunct professor at the university's Hankamer School of Business.

"We understand from news reports that [Simon] and his passengers have minor injuries, and we are thankful that everyone is OK," Baylor University spokesman Lori Fogleman said in a statement, adding that university officials have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Simon since the parachute landing.

The driver of the truck was identified as Shakemia Harris, 30, of Fayetteville.

The plane was on its way from Bentonville to Waco, Texas, when it began losing oil pressure, Stout said. The pilot was on his way to attempt a landing at Drake Field in Fayetteville when the plane lost all oil pressure, Stout said.

The aircraft, a 2014 Cirrus SR22 fixed-wing single-engine plane, is registered to WG Aviation LLC of Rogers.

Records show a departure time scheduled for 9:35 a.m. Tuesday from Bentonville, with an estimated arrival time of 11:38 a.m.

Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard remained blocked in both directions from around Hill Avenue to Razorback Road just after 11 a.m., the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. The aircraft was being removed from the scene as of about 4:35 p.m. Tuesday.

Fayetteville School District said on Facebook that the school was not affected by the crash, adding that "all students and staff members are safe."

Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Bill Simon, a former chief executive of Wal-Mart.

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CLARIFICATION: This story initally described the plane as crashing. It has been updated to more accurately reflect what happened.

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