The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a preliminary crash report in the plane crash that killed Oklahoma State women's basketball coach, Kurt Budke, his assistant coach, Miranda Serna, and former state senator Olin Branstetter and his wife, Paula.
The NTSB says on November 17, 2011, just after 4pm, the Piper PA-28-180 impacted the ground near Perryville, Arkansas. The plane was "substantially damaged."
The NTSB says Olin Branstetter was a certified flight instructor pilot, and the plane was being operated under code but without a flight plan. The NTSB said weather was not a problem.
According to the report: "The flight originated from Stillwater Regional Airport (SWO), Stillwater, Oklahoma, about 2:15pm, and was destined for North Little Rock Municipal Airport (ORK), North Little Rock, Arkansas."
The airplane did not receive any services at the Stillwater airport.
Around 4pm, the NTSB says "the airplane entered a right turn and began descending. The airplane disappeared from radar shortly after. There were no reported air traffic control communications with the airplane. Witnesses who were in the vicinity of the accident site reported that the airplane was flying at a low altitude and making turns. They then observed the airplane enter a steep nose-low attitude prior to descending toward the terrain. Ground scars and witness marks to trees surrounding the accident site were consistent with the airplane being in a steep nose-low attitude at the time of impact."
The airplane wreckage was transported to a secure location for further examination.
Coach Budke, Serna and the Branstetters were laid to rest last week. The OSU women's basketball team won their first game since the crash, against Coppin State, on Saturday.
