A small plane parachuted onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Fayetteville High School on Tuesday morning, according to the Fayetteville Fire Department.
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 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 said he did not know if Simon was the same Bill Simon who is the former president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S.
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 pilot deployed the airplane’s parachute and drifted to the ground, 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. Authorities are awaiting direction from the Federal Aviation Agency on whether to move the plane or leave it in place, Stout said.
Fayetteville School District said on Facebook that the school was not affected by the crash, adding that “all students and staff members are safe.”
Check back with ArkansasOnline for updates and read Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
