July 17, Hernando, Miss. / Beech Baron

At about 12:02 central time, a Beech 58 suffered an in-flight electrical failure and crashed into Arkabutla Lake, killing the pilot. The Park 135 cargo flight originated seven minutes earlier from Memphis, Tenn. The pilot was cleared to climb to 6,000 feet when he reported an electrical fire. The controller advised him of an airport 12 miles away, then informed him of a closer grass strip. The pilot responded by saying that the flight needed to land immediately. Several witnesses reported seeing smoke trail the airplane in flight. A fire on the water after impact lasted an estimated 4-5 minutes.