Plane crashes in Arlington

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 26, 2004

Two residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma lost their lives in a deadly plane crash that occurred on Monday morning around the community of Arlington in Wilcox County. Investigators are still on the scene searching for clues as to why this accident happened.

Robert Compton and his wife Margaret Compton both in their 60’s were flying back in their Piper PA 46 Malibu airplane from Panama City, Florida to their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma when their plane started to experience trouble.

National Transportation Safety Board’s Senior Safety Investigator Corky Smith from Atlanta, Georgia said the plane left Panama City around 7:38 am on Monday. The Atlanta Tower had radio and radar contact with the plane, around 8:40 am radio and radar contact was lost.

Email newsletter signup

“The search started right after we lost contact with the aircraft. The wreckage was discover around 6:38 pm,” Smith said.

He also said the initial indication is that the plane started to break up in mid-flight due to the wreckage being scattered around the area the way it is. The tail of the plane is a good mile or so away from the rest of the wreckage.

Smith along with help from the local police and the local community are still searching for clues. He has been out along with the first responders searching since late Monday night when the plane was first discovered.

“I will be here tomorrow still searching for a few other key pieces of the fallen plane,” Smith said.

According to a media source, Robert Compton’s body was discovered first with a wing section of the plane and then Margaret Compton’s body was later found with body of the aircraft.

The investigation is still underway because they will continue searching until they have recovered the pieces that Smith needs to verify what happened to the plane on the Compton’s flight home.