NTSB Factual Report

On August 22, 2018, about 1300 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-235, N7954W, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a partial loss of engine power during cruise flight about 14 nautical miles (nm) southeast of Little Rock, Arkansas. The pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight departed from the North Little Rock Municipal Airport (ORK), North Little Rock, Arkansas, about 1240 and was en route to the Pine Bluff Regional Airport Grider Field (PBF), Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

While en route to PBF, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane was experiencing a partial loss of engine power. The air traffic controller advised the pilot that the closest airfield was about 2 to 3 nm east of the pilot's position. The pilot executed a forced landing to a grass covered field on an island in the Arkansas River. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted rough terrain.

At 1253, the surface weather observation at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), Little Rock, Arkansas, was: wind variable at 5 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 3,500 ft; scattered clouds at 25,0000 ft; temperature 29° C; dew point 19° C; and altimeter 30.16 inches of mercury.