Pilot, passenger survive plane crash | News

Two Region 8 men avoided serious injuries when their plane crashed Sunday.

The crash happened at 5:45 p.m. just southwest of the Elmwood Trail and CR-6 in Fulton County.

According to Arkansas State Police, 56-year-old James Baker of Mountain Home was attempting to land an experimental aircraft in a field just east of CR-6 in Viola.

Apparently the Sky Ranger VMAX touched down on the landing strip then bounced three times.

Baker told investigators he applied full power to the throttle and attempted to climb up.  Apparently, the aircraft stalled and clipped the top of a pine tree.  The plane then slammed back down to the ground before hitting a rock fence line.  Investigators say the aircraft flipped over and came to a rest upside down on its wings.

Baker and his passenger, 35-year-old Joseph Jestice of Viola, managed to exit the aircraft without injury.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will be at the site Monday to investigate.