FAA: Tulsa-Owned Plane Crashes In Southwest Arkansas Killing Pilot

Staff and Wire reports

DE QUEEN, Arkansas -- Law enforcement officials say the pilot of a small airplane that crashed Friday morning at the Sevier County Airport near De Queen in southwest Arkansas is dead.

According to the De Queen Bee newspaper the pilot was identified as 52-year-old Timothy Stanley, of Broussard, Louisianna.  The newspaper said Stanley was the only one on board.

The FAA said the plane, a twin-engine Beechcraft BE-55, crashed shortly after takeoff about 8:30 a.m and came to rest in a ditch alongside a runway at the De Queen, Arkansas airport. 

Investigators believe Stanley left Louisiana on Thursday, headed for Oklahoma, but was forced to land in De Queen due to severe weather.  State Police said they believe Stanley planned to resume his trip Friday morning.

Records accessed through the FAA's website show the plane is registered to Rose Resources Oil and Gas Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.