Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A tragic plane crash near Wiley Post Airport in Bethany, Oklahoma has claimed the lives of a husband and wife. The pilot, Barrett Ellis, attempted to make an emergency landing after reporting engine trouble, but the 1968 Beechcraft single-engine plane crashed and burst into flames just before 10:20 a.m. on December 10, 2023. Despite the pilot’s efforts to rescue his wife, Megan Ellis, she tragically died at the scene, and he passed away after being taken to the hospital. Both victims were 43 years old.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed a possible cause for the tragedy – a massive oil leak. The investigation found evidence of oil puddles at various locations on the airport grounds and oil spray from the propeller. The report also mentioned that the engine oil leak could not be conclusively determined due to mechanical and thermal damage sustained during the crash.
The crash occurred less than five minutes after the pilot had been cleared for takeoff, and witnesses reported seeing smoke trailing from the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot had purchased the plane just months before the crash, and a lab analysis of the replaced oil revealed potential issues with internal corrosion.
Barrett Ellis, an attorney for the University of Oklahoma Foundation, and Megan Ellis, executive director for The Sooner Nation Collective, leave behind a community mourning their loss. The NTSB noted that this was the fourth deadly aviation accident in Oklahoma in 2023.
In January, a pilot died in a crash near Hooker, and another fatal crash occurred in Kingfisher in the same month. In September, a grounds worker at the Broken Bow Airport was killed by an airplane’s wing. These tragic events underscore the importance of rigorous safety measures in aviation.
The NTSB’s investigation into the Wiley Post Airport crash is ongoing, and a final report may not be available for some time. The aviation community and the victims’ loved ones await further insights into this devastating accident.