Read the NTSB preliminary findings in fatal Collinsville plane crash

On April 7, 2013, about 1800 central daylight time, a Mooney M20J, airplane, N57672, impacted terrain near Collinsville, Oklahoma. The commercial rated pilot and passenger were fatally injured.

The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered and operated by a private individual underthe provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Tulsa International Airport (KTUL), Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 1747, and was en route to the Manhattan Regional airport (KMHK).

The airplane's impact left a crater approximately 10 feet in diameter and about 4 feet deep. The airplane's engine and part of a propeller blade was visible in the crater; the left wing, empennage, were just outside the crater. One end of a narrow ground scar contained pieces of a fiberglass wingtip and a green navigation light, the other end of the scar was at the impact crater. Other pieces of the airplane were scattered around the area.

A postcrash fire consumed part of the fuselage and rear stabilizer. The remainder of the airplane wreckage was fragmented.

A preliminary review of air traffic control and radar data was done. Communications with KTUL tower were normal, with the last acknowledgement from the pilot was that the airplane was cleared to 6,000 feet. There were no emergency or distress calls from the pilot.