In the darkness of a late summer night, tragedy struck in the remote woodlands of Lafayette County, Arkansas. On Monday, August 18, 2025, a single-engine 2021 Lancair Super Barracuda plummeted from the sky, claiming the life of its sole occupant, 54-year-old Barry Boes of Ooltewah, Tennessee. The crash, reported around 9:30 p.m. near Arkansas Highway 29, just two miles south of the small town of Bradley, has left a community in mourning and investigators searching for answers.
The Arkansas State Police (ASP) confirmed that the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office received the initial report of a possible downed aircraft as night fell. The dense, wooded terrain made the search challenging, but at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, an ASP helicopter pierced the pre-dawn stillness, spotting the wreckage in a secluded area. It wasn’t until 5:15 a.m. that first responders, including troopers from Troop G Highway Patrol, Lafayette County Sheriff’s deputies, and local emergency crews, reached the crash site. There, amidst the splintered remains of the sleek, kit-built aircraft, they found Barry Boes, pronounced dead at the scene.
Boes, a man of remarkable drive and diverse talents, was no ordinary pilot. The aircraft, a 2021 Lancair Super Barracuda, was a testament to his passion for aviation—a low-wing, two-seat plane powered by a six-cylinder engine, capable of cruising at 257 mph with a range of 1,000 miles. Registered to Five Lime Alpha LLC at Boes’ home address on Bell Mill Road in Ooltewah, a suburb of Chattanooga, the plane had departed from Austin, Texas, bound for home. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, Boes held a private pilot’s license with certifications for single- and multi-engine aircraft, as well as an instrument flight rating. His most recent medical certification, a 3rd Class, was issued in December 2024, underscoring his commitment to the skies.
Beyond aviation, Boes was a force in both technology and motorsports. As the founder and CEO of Accio Data, an Austin-based software company he established in 2005, Boes empowered midsized screening firms with cutting-edge technology, driven by a mission to lower R&D costs and elevate industry standards. A Mississippi State University graduate with a degree in computer engineering, his intellect and innovation left a lasting mark on the tech world. On the racetrack, Boes was equally formidable. A celebrated driver in the Trans Am Series by Pirelli, he clinched the 2024 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge Championship and the Western Championship at California’s Sonoma Raceway in April. His accolades included a 2019 Sports Car Club of America Hoosier Super Tour National Championship in the GT2 class and a 2021 World Racing League endurance racing title. Andy Lally, president of the Trans Am Series, remembered Boes as a “great person and serious competitor,” admired for his intensity, determination, and sportsmanship.
The investigation into the crash has been handed over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who are now tasked with unraveling the cause of this devastating incident. The NTSB has called for witnesses or anyone with surveillance video to come forward, reachable at [email protected]. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with a final report detailing the probable cause projected to take 12 to 24 months. Boes’ body has been transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where experts will determine the manner and cause of his death.
As news of the tragedy rippled through Ooltewah and beyond, family, friends, and community members gathered to honor a man whose life was defined by ambition and achievement. From the racetrack to the boardroom to the cockpit, Barry Boes lived with an unrelenting passion for excellence. Now, as the investigation unfolds, those who knew him hold tight to memories of a life lived boldly, forever etched in the hearts of a grieving community.
