Couple Returning Home From Lakeland Fly-In

A pilot and his wife, on their way home from the recently concluded Fly-In in Lakeland, FL, were lost Sunday when their homebuilt aircraft impacted power lines while on approach to a private airfield in Arkansas.

Pilot Doug Beechel, 66, a retired dentist, and his wife, Sharon Beechel, 67, were apparently on final approach at a private airstrip, according to The Lakeland Ledger.

The accident occurred at approximately 2:45 pm, about a half-mile from the end of a paved runway at Valley Airfield, just northwest of Cotter, AR. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said it appeared the aircraft struck a power line on final approach to the field.

The aircraft is reportedly a Murphy Moose (file photo of type, above), a kit plane built by Beechel, said Bud Wilson, a friend of the pilot. FAA records show a Murphy SR3500 Moose, N360MM, registered to a Douglas Beechel in Cotter.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: UNK        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP-
  Date: 04/22/2007     Time: 1500

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

LOCATION
  City: COTTER   State: AR   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  UNIDENTIFIED SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES,
  THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, NEAR VALLEY AIRPORT, COTTER,
  AR

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: LITTLE ROCK, AR  (SW11)               Entry date: 04/23/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov