One Killed In Plane Crash In SE Oklahoma

A plane flying from Tahlequah to Texas crashed Friday in southeast Oklahoma, killing the pilot.

On October 18, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol received a request to help find a missing aircraft. The 1968 single-engine Cessna was scheduled to land in Terrel, Texas, but never arrived.

An OHP aircraft crew and a team of rescuers started a search Friday, but they were delayed by bad weather.

Saturday morning, crews finally reached a heavily-wooded area in far north Pushmatah County, about six miles southwest of Sardis Lake. Around 10:15 a.m., they located the wreckage of the plane. The pilot, the only person on board, was found dead at the scene.

The pilot has been identified as 54-year-old Stephen Mark Hardin. He lived in Terrel.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash.