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Report released on Vernon bound plane crash

A preliminary report regarding the crash of a single-engine aircraft into the Red River was released last week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Killed in the crash were pilot Richard Lennard and passenger Michael Hollis.
The report offers new details but no determination of the cause for the aircraft to plummet into the Red River near Shreveport.
“The pilot and passenger were flying to a ranch near F05 [Wilbarger Country Airport, Vernon, Texas] for a hunting trip. According to preliminary air traffic control information, after departing from Runway 32 and reaching 600 ft mean sea level, ATC instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 270° and continue climbing to 12,000 ft msl,” the report says.
“The airplane turned left continuously for 740 degrees. During this turn, after climbing steadily to 1,400 ft msl, the airplane’s altitude began to oscillate between 725 ft and 1,900 ft msl. The airplane subsequently made a decelerating turn to the right and quickly descended, with the last recorded ATC data indicating a groundspeed of 31 knots [approximately 35 mph] and an altitude of 575 ft msl. The airplane impacted the Red River and came to rest about 17 ft below the river’s surface.”
The investigation into the crash continues.

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