Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball team plane crash
A PA-28 similar to the accident aircraft
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| Occurrence summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 17, 2011 |
| Summary | Uncontrolled descent into terrain |
| Site | Near Perryville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-28-180 |
| Registration | N7746W |
| Flight origin | Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Destination | North Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
On November 17, 2011, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee crashed near Perryville, Arkansas, killing all four persons aboard, which included head coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna, of the Oklahoma State University women's basketball team, as well as former State Senator Olin Branstetter and his wife, Paula.
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28-180 built in 1964. The pilot and registered owner, former Oklahoma State Senator Olin Branstetter was a certified commercial pilot and was instrument rated.
The aircraft was piloted by Branstetter on a donor flight on November 17, 2011 with passengers: head coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna, of the OSU Women's Basketball team and Branstetter's wife Paula. The flight originated in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where the team had just won their first game of the season versus Rice and was to arrive in North Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of a trip to scout prospective high school players.
The aircraft was flying at 7,000 feet over Arkansas when it turned right and started to descend. The pilot did not raise any alert prior to crashing nose-first into a ridge near Perryville at 4:10 p.m. Hunters near the scene called emergency services when they noticed the aircraft in distress.
The NTSB's investigation released in February 2013 concluded that Branstetter lost control of the aircraft, although the reason for the loss of control could not be determined. The report ruled out weather as a factor and said that there was no evidence to support that an existing medical condition in the pilot had been a cause. The NTSB found no issues with the aircraft's instruments, engine and airframe.
The crash came the day before the 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team lost its only game of the season. Students, players and staff wore ribbons with the number 4, and the coaches' initials in remembrance. Additionally, a memorial was set up inside Gallagher-Iba Arena bearing semblance to these ribbons in honor of Coach Budke and Coach Serna. Assistant coach Jim Littell was named interim head coach and team's following two games were canceled. Since the accident, the university expanded its rules prohibiting single-engine aircraft travel to include coaches, staff and pilots, while rules were put in place to ensure all flight aircraft would be reviewed by a consultant.
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