FAA report reveals details of fatal Rusk County plane crash Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn RUSK COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - The Federal Aviation Association has released its preliminary report revealing details behind a plane crash on April 19 between Tatum and Easton on County Road 2194. The pilot, identified as Capt. William James Weatherspoon, died when his plane crashed in Rusk County. According to the FAA report, Weatherspoon was in his Cessna 340A and was testing out a newly upgraded autopilot system. Weatherspoon had been a pilot for American Airlines from 1973 until his retirement in 2007. Afterward, he got back into general aviation, working at Stebbins Aviation in Longview, according to his obituary.