Poor Weather, Night Conditions Also Possible Factors

A twin-engine Aero Commander 500B crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday near Tulsa International Airport. Darrin Ogletree, 31, of Dallas was lost on impact, the Houston Chronicle reports. He was the only occupant of the aircraft on a cargo flight.

Ogletree departed Tulsa International Airport just after 2230 local time for a flight to Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City with a load of bank checks for processing.  Shortly after takeoff, Ogletree reported a malfunctioning "gyroscope."

The artificial horizon, or attitude indicator as it is commonly called, is a gyroscopic instrument that gives pilots a horizon reference inside the airplane.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. 

Air traffic controllers reported the aircraft (similar to type shown below) made two, 360-degree turns in the area of Mohawk Park shortly after takeoff, before disappearing from the radar screen.

The National Weather Service reported conditions at the time of the crash to be light rain changing to light snow with eight miles visibility on the ground. Winds were 10 mph, gusting to 21 mph, with a temperature of 31 degrees.

NTSB spokesman Peter Knudsen commented on the malfunctioning gyroscope, "If it’s foggy, raining or at night when you can’t see the horizon, the only way to know for sure which way is up is the gyro. It makes it much more difficult to manage when one part of the instrument panel goes out."

Central Airlines of Kansas City, MO owned the aircraft, but would not comment on the accident. However, lead mechanic Kevin Hayes at Central Airlines southwest office in Cushing said all records and inspections on the aircraft were up to date.

Tulsa Police received a call from someone in the area of Mohawk Park and the Tulsa Zoo reporting the sound of a possible crash, and police began their search.

Due to the snow and rain, a police helicopter could not be used; the heavily-wooded area was searched on foot and by all-terrain vehicle.

"It definitely slowed us down," said Officer Leland Ashley.

Parts of the aircraft were scattered over a one-mile area, and it took searchers two hours to locate the fuselage and Ogletree.

The family of Ogletree described him as an "outstanding pilot" and are completely shaken up by the accident, said Jason Willingham of the Tulsa Police.

FMI: www.faa.gov; www.ntsb.gov