Witnesses Say Pilot Was In A Spiral

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 1200 EDT: Authorities have identified the pilot killed Wednesday when his Lancair IV-P crashed during an emergency landing attempt near Lexington, KY.

Dan Hutson II, 54, was returning from Blue Grass Airport to Murray-Calloway County Airport after dropping off a passenger when he declared an emergency, telling controllers of an oil pressure problem. He was directed to land at Springfield Lebanon Airport.

Witnesses told WPSD-6 the plane was spiraling 'like a helicopter' as it approached the runway. The aircraft impacted off to the side of the runway, and caught fire.

"We all just scanned the whole field looking for him and didn't see anybody. The guy was in there, it was bad," said witness Darrel Garrett.

Hutson was the owner of Hutson, Incorporated, a family-owned business that operates five John Deere tractor dealerships in Kentucky. Associates say he often flew both fixed-wing and rotorcraft on company trips.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 441L        Make/Model: EXP       Description: LANCAIR 4P
  Date: 06/18/2008     Time: 1705

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SPRINGFIELD   State: KY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT REPORTED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND CRASHED ON APPROACH TO LAND, THE
  ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, SPRINGFIELD, KY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: SPECIKSDF 181814Z 29010G14KT 10SM SCT045 27/08 A2994

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Approach      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: LOUISVILLE, KY  (CE17)                Entry date: 06/19/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov