Small plane piloted by former Wal-Mart U.S. CEO parachutes to ground near Fayetteville High School

A plane parachuted to the ground Tuesday in Fayetteville after losing oil pressure.
A plane parachuted to the ground Tuesday in Fayetteville after losing oil pressure.

A small plane piloted by the former president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S. parachuted to the ground Tuesday morning near Fayetteville High School along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, resulting in minor injuries.

Three people were on the plane, said Sgt. Craig Stout, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department. It was unclear whether the plane struck the truck or vice versa.

Stout confirmed that the pilot was Bill Simon, 56, who was president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S. from 2010 to 2014.

Simon told The Associated Press that he unfurled an aircraft parachute that brought the plane down, adding that he suffered a burn as his air bag deployed.

Four people were taken to Washington Regional Medical Center. Three of people were in the plane and one was in a vehicle that was involved, said Becky Stewart, chief of Central EMS.

“Given the proximity of the high school and the university and all the traffic, it could have been an absolute tragedy," Stout said.

Bill Simon, a former chief executive of Wal-Mart.
Bill Simon, a former chief executive of Wal-Mart.

None of the injuries were serious, she said.

Stout identified those on the plane as Simon; Cliff Slincard, 59, the copilot; and Maurice Willis, 47, a passenger.

The driver of the truck was identified as Shakemia Harris, 30, of Fayetteville.

The plane was on its way from Bentonville to Waco, Texas, when it began losing oil pressure, Stout said. The pilot was going to attempt a landing at Drake Field in Fayetteville when the plane lost all oil pressure, Stout said.

The pilot deployed the airplane's parachute and drifted to the ground, Stout said.

Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard remained blocked in both directions from around Hill Avenue to Razorback Road just after 11 a.m. Authorities are awaiting direction from the FAA on whether to move the plane or leave it in place, Stout said.

The aircraft, a 2014 Cirrus SR-22 fixed-wing single-engine plane, is registered to WG Aviation LLC of Rogers, according to records.

A video posted on Twitter and later removed showed the plane parachuting to the ground.

Alan Wilbourn, a spokesman for the Fayetteville School District, said school was not affected by the crash.

Simon serves on the Baylor University Board of Regents and is an adjunct professor at the university's Hankamer School of Business.

"We understand from news reports that [Simon] and his passengers have minor injuries, and we are thankful that everyone is OK," Baylor University spokesman Lori Fogleman said in a statement, adding that university officials have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Simon since the parachute landing.

Correction

A previous version of this story misstated the model of airplane listed in records. The error has been corrected.

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