Aircraft crashed into pole behind closed race track

It's one of those tragedies that happen on the worst days of the year. This time, it happened on the day when families are supposed to be giving thanks, not mourning the loss of a 38-year-old pilot and father, and his 9-year-old son.

In the third fatal accident in Mississippi in the last three months, Timothy D. Mitchell and his son Timothy Adam Mitchell lost their lives when the 1953 Cessna 195 (file photo, below) they were flying on Thursday crashed into a pole behind a closed race track in Winona (MS), some 85 miles north of Jackson (MS), according to FAA spokesperson Diane Spitalieri.

The aircraft departed Winona-Montgomery County airport at an undetermined time; the accident took place around 1500. FAA investigators were on the scene on Friday to try to determine the cause of the crash. The closed dirt race track is reported to be owned by a family member of Mitchell's, and is located just outside the town that just under 6,000 people call home.

Weather was discounted as a factor in the accident -- the day was described as "clear as a bell," with 10 miles visibility in clear skies and a light breeze from the west-southwest.
 
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 195DD        Make/Model: C195      Description: 195 (LC-126)
  Date: 11/25/2004     Time: 2133
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: WINONA                      State: MS   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT HIT A POLE AND CRASHED, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED,
  WINONA, MA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR GWO 252053Z 250005KT 10SM CLR 10/00 A3013                            
                                                                                    
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: WINONA, MS                  Dep Date: 11/25/2004   Dep. Time:     
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: JACKSON, MS  (SO07)                   Entry date: 11/26/2004

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov