LITTLE ROCK — A small plane crashed into Rich Mountain in rural Polk County on Tuesday afternoon, bursting into flames and killing the pilot, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the cause of the crash was unknown. It appeared that the single-engine Cessna flew into clouds and clipped some trees before plummeting into the right-of-way off Arkansas 88, said James Reeves,the emergency coordinator for the county.
A passing motorist saw the burning wreckage and called 911 just after 2:15 p.m., Reeves said.
The pilot was Jerry L. Smith of Willow Springs, Mo., to whom the plane was registered, the county coroner confirmed Tuesday evening. His body will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for autopsy.
FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said he did not know where the plane came from, where itwas bound or if anyone else was aboard. He said the crash was under investigation.
The mountainous area northwest of Mena has been the site of numerous crashes over the years, including one in 2006 that injured two Texas men when they went down along the same stretch of scenic highway.
Three years before that, an Oklahoma pilot crashed and died in the rocky terrain north of U.S. 270. Rescuers used mules to reach the remote site.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 11/12/2008