Former Mississippi state senator killed in northwest Arkansas plane crash Wednesday

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark. ― A former state senator from Mississippi was killed Wednesday when the eight-passenger airplane he piloted crashed in thick woods between Brentwood and Winslow.

The pilot, John Morgan, 76, died in the crash about 1:30 p.m. After a helicopter crew saw debris and a ground crew found the wreckage about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, Morgan's body was taken to the state laboratory in Little Rock to confirm his identity, the Washington County Sheriff Department posted on Facebook.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves posted on Twitter that Morgan, a state senator from 1984-1992, loved the University of Mississippi and state politics.

"Johnny Morgan was perhaps the most fiercely loyal person I ever met," Reeves tweeted. "If he was with you, he was with you!” He loved Ole Miss, MS. politics and life!"

The FAA's Fort Smith tower made the first reports that the airplane had gone down. The facility controls the airspace for the western part of the state. The crash was on private property between Carpenter Road and Ferry Road in steep, rugged terrain, the sheriff reported. The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA were notified and investigators will arrive Thursday to determine the cause of the crash.

Around 3:45 p.m., a helicopter crew reported debris and a ground crew found some of the wreckage.

Shane Wood, spokesman for the Fayetteville Fire Department said, "The canopy is horrible down there," referring to the heavily wooded area.

The airplane, a Beech King Air 90, can seat eight people.

At 2:20 p.m. the sheriff's department reported they had not located the wreckage. A post on Facebook from the Washington County Sheriff's Department reported at 2:23 p.m. that the wreckage had not been located.

"We have received a few reports of an airplane that lost altitude and possibly crashed in south Washington County," the post states. "Fort Smith Airport Air Traffic Control reported a possible crash as well. We have deputies and other area law enforcement agencies in the area searching for the airplane now but nothing has been located at this time. We will update this post as soon as we learn more."

Radio traffic from the Round Mountain Volunteer Fire Department indicated military helicopters were being used in the search. An airplane was reported to have lost altitude by Fort Smith authorities. The airplane was reportedly destined for the City of Fayetteville Airport at Drake Field and had departed from Oxford, Mississippi.

The command center for search and rescue teams was set up at the Oak Grove Cemetery.

According to radio traffic, two calls were made to 911 from Brentwood Mountain Road. Washington County Sheriff Kelly Cantrell said a sputter could be heard from an engine possibly out of fuel or with mechanical problems.

Winslow is about 58 miles north of Fort Smith, near U.S. 71 and 22 miles south of Fayetteville.

TV reports showed ground crews setting up near the cemetery Wednesday afternoon.

The Arkansas National Guard assisted in the search. Air One from Benton County, a Black Hawk helicopter and ground units from the sheriff's department helped. Officers from West Fork and Greenland also responded.

Check swtimes.com for updates to this developing story.

Reporter Craig A. Shoup of The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Crews find former MS state senator killed in Arkansas plane crash