January 05, Oak Grove, La. / Beech Baron

At 10:10 central time, a Beech BE95-B55 crashed while maneuvering near Oak Grove, killing the pilot. IMC prevailed and the pilot was instrument rated, but no flight plan was filed. The pilot flew from Monroe, La., to a private hunting ranch near Avon the previous day. Because the weather was forecast to deteriorate, the pilot decided to return his airplane to Monroe and drive back to the ranch. A preflight weather briefer told him VFR flight was not recommended. The ceiling at the destination was about 3,000 feet, but at the accident site it was about 500 feet. A witness saw the airplane at about 300 feet agl in a steep left bank. The 1,500-hour pilot had owned the airplane since 1994.