Authorities ID pilot killed when small plane crashes at airport in Little Rock

January 24, 2024 at 4:00 a.m.

by The Associated Press

The wreckage of a single-engine Cirrus SR 22 aircraft is covered by a blue tarp near a runway at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, after it crashed on Sunday in Little Rock, Ark. The pilot of the aircraft was pronounced dead at the scene and was the only individual on board at the time of the incident. (Colin Murphey /Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)
The wreckage of a single-engine Cirrus SR 22 aircraft is covered by a blue tarp near a runway at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, after it crashed on Sunday in Little Rock, Ark. The pilot of the aircraft was pronounced dead at the scene and was the only individual on board at the time of the incident. (Colin Murphey /Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

LITTLE ROCK -- The pilot of a small plane was killed when it crashed at Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, authorities said.

The Cirrus SR 22 took off from the airport Sunday afternoon, airport officials said in a statement. The pilot declared an emergency, and then crashed north of the airport's cargo building, authorities said. The pilot was the only person on board.

Little Rock Police on Monday identified the pilot as William Cope, 62, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Cope was pronounced dead at the scene.

The National Transportation Safety Board will work to determine the cause of the crash, airport officials said.

photo Emergency responders examine the wreckage of a single-engine Cirrus SR 22 aircraft near a runway at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport after it crashed, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024 in Little Rock, Ark. The pilot of the aircraft was pronounced dead at the scene and was the only individual on board at the time of the incident. (Colin Murphey /Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

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