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On January 28, 1996, approximately 1645 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N757UK,
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On January 28, 1996, approximately 1645 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N757UK, was destroyed during a forced landing following a loss of power near Conway, Arkansas. The private pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. The rental airplane, owned by a private owner, and operated by Barrett Aviation, Little Rock, Arkansas, was being flown under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The personal flight originated from Baxter County Municipal Airport, Mountain Home, Arkansas, at 1515, and was en route to North Little Rock, Arkansas. A VFR flight plan was filed; however, there is no record of the plan being activated. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the flight.
In an interview with the investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that he had flown an uneventful flight from North Little Rock, Arkansas (departure time approx. 1100) to Mountain Home, Arkansas. He stated that the fuel tanks were "full" when he departed North Little Rock. Upon landing in Mountain Home, approximately 1215, the fuel tanks were "topped off" with an additional 11.1 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel. After visiting with family, he returned to the airport, performed a pre-flight, and then departed on a return flight to North Little Rock at 1515.
The pilot further stated that, after approximately 75 minutes of uneventful flying (altitude: approx. 3,500 feet AGL), the engine "appeared to backfire a couple times." He attempted to adjust throttle and the mixture control and activated the carburetor heat, "but the noise persisted." Subsequently, engine RPM began to "drop into the teens", and "any attempt to adjust the throttle and mixture control just resulted in worsening the engine operation." He added that, altitude and level flight could not be maintained and he located a field to execute a forced landing. The pilot "circled the field a couple of times" to set up for the final landing. He recalled that, during the emergency descent, the winds were "gusting up to 40 miles per hour, and thus created additional difficulties." He recalled that, during the last descending turn, the airplane "just missed some tree tops" and then the "plane's nose [was] diving quickly toward the ground." As the nose dropped, he heard the stall warning horn for about 1 second and then it "abated as speed increased."
Six eye witnesses were interviewed and provided statements to the investigator-in-charge. According to two of the witnesses (closest to the accident site), the engine "sounded like it was cutting out", then they observed the airplane circling and descend into a field "nose first." Two other witnesses, who were driving in a car adjacent to the accident site, observed the airplane flying east bound "at a slow rate of speed" and losing altitude. They observed the plane make a descending 180 degree