Strong winds reported at time of deadly Super King Air crash near Arkansas airport

Photo from Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office twitter

A Super King Air B200 crashed near the Clinton National Airport (CLK) Wednesday afternoon shortly after takeoff while on its way to John Glenn International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio. The FAA reported that five people were on board, but none survived.

The Little Rock Police Department said that Emergency Communications was alerted around noon local time to the crash near a 3M plant. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the deputies were dispatched around noon.

Local TV station KARK said that Lt. Cody Burk of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened within a mile of the airport. The search was in a recovery phase and the NTSB was on its way to the scene to investigate.

Arkansas meteorologist Pat Walker said that weather may have been a factor in the crash. Walker said wind gusts from a thunderstorm were about 46 mph at the time.

KARK reporter Jessica Ranck tweeted that a neighbor was outside when the plane crashed and heard a loud boom and then saw a plume of smoke.

There is no current information on the passengers, the ownership of the plane or the cause of the crash, but weather conditions will certainly be looked at.

UPDATE

GlobalAir.com reached out to the NTSB for comment on the crash. They said the plane had crashed after takeoff and a post-impact fire occurred. NTSB investigators would arrive on the scene on Thursday. Once the investigators arrive they will document the scene and begin an examination of the aircraft.

This investigation includes looking into radar data, weather information, ATC communication, maintenance records and pilot medical records. A preliminary report is expected to be published 15 days after the accident.