December 15, Mena, Ark. / Beech Bonanza

At approximately 1234 central time, a Beech H35 was destroyed when it crashed on a visual approach to the Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport. The pilot was killed. The pilot had received a weather briefing for the 129 nautical mile cross-country flight. He did not file a flight plan but was reported to have received VFR radar advisories from Memphis Center during cruise flight. After radar services were terminated, Memphis Center continued to monitor the flight on radar until radar contact was lost 11 nautical miles northeast of the Mena Airport. No distress calls were received from the pilot. The pilots wife reported the airplane as overdue.The wreckage was located the following morning approximately 540 feet below the crest of Black Mountain. Investigators said the damage was consistent with controlled flight, with wings level and gear and flaps in the retracted position.