Student Ticket Had Expired June 30th

The person flying a Cessna 150 (file photo, below) which went down over the weekend near Mayflower, Arkansas had held a student pilot's license, but it had expired on June 30th and was not re-issued, according to the FAA.

Little Rock Television Station KATV reports 42-year-old Merrel Blalock was recovering from two broken vertebrae suffered in the accident. He was departing from a field where he had landed to visit friends.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Witnesses told the television station that the airplane seemed to lose power shortly after takeoff. FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said they would have the final determination as to whether Blalock was able to legally operate the aircraft. He was the only one on board at the time on the accident.

** Report created 7/8/2009 Record 34 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 1124Y Make/Model: C150 Description: 150, A150, Commuter, Aerobat
 Date: 07/05/2009 Time: 0040
 Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
 City: CONWAY State: AR Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT AFTER DEPARTURE, CLIPPED TREES, LANDED AND FLIPPED OVER ONTO FIELD, 20 MILES FROM CONWAY, AR

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: 1
 # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: KLIT 042353Z 35012KT 10SM FEW065 SCT150 OVC250 30/22 A2986
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase: Take-off Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: LITTLE ROCK, AR (SW11) Entry date: 07/06/2009

FMI: www.faa.gov