What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 25, 2023 at approximately 1252 hours (local), a Piper PA-28 operating under 14 CFR part 91 was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near john’s Island, SC. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries.
A review of radar data indicated the aircraft departed from conway-horry county airport (hyw) at approximately 1210 hours (local) and was enroute to palatka municipal airport (28J). A witness at hyw spoke to the airman and said the airman seemed tired and was concerned about the weather. The aircraft departed hyw and climbed to 1600 feet MSL and contacted ATC for flight following. At 1243 hours (local) the chs controller asked the pilot if he wanted to remain at 1600 feet MSL or climb to a higher altitude. The airman stated he wanted to stay low to maintain VFR. The controller acknowledged and instructed the airman to maintain VFR, altitude your discretion. At 1251 hours (local), the controller noticed the aircraft maneuvering and asked the airman if he was maneuvering to avoid clouds. There was a brief pause and the airman replied “mayday, mayday, in the clouds..going down”. No other communications were received from the airman.
The aircraft impacted a marsh area off abbapoola creek, approximately 1.6 miles south of charleston executive airport (jzi). Access to accident site was provided by the charleston county sherriff’s department air boat. The wreckage was contained to an area approximately 30 feet by 50 feet. Fuel odor was present along with a sheen on the water. One witness who had his head down, loading a boat, heard the aircrafts engine whining before it impacted the marsh and looked up right after it impacted the March and saw mud and debris fly into the air. Another witness who was located at the end of legareville road stated he heard the aircraft and looked up to see it go straight down into the marsh.
The weather reported at jzi at 1255 hours (local) was winds variable from 180 to 240 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 miles with a overcast ceiling at 1300 feet. Temperature was 22 degrees celsius, dewpoint 18 degrees celsius.
The aircraft was recovered on March 30, 2023 and transported to a salvage yard to be inspected and engine tear down analysis performed. Air worthiness inspectors from the atl FSDO observed the inspections.
The airman was a private pilot single engine land rated with a total of 740 hours reported on his last medical examination. Airman’s third class medical was issued on March 3, 2022.
The NTSB investigation is ongoing.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 25, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1252 HOURS (LOCAL), A PIPER PA-28 OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR JOHN’S ISLAND, SC. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
A REVIEW OF RADAR DATA INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM CONWAY-HORRY COUNTY AIRPORT (HYW) AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 HOURS (LOCAL) AND WAS ENROUTE TO PALATKA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (28J). A WITNESS AT HYW SPOKE TO THE AIRMAN AND SAID THE AIRMAN SEEMED TIRED AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WEATHER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HYW AND CLIMBED TO 1600 FEET MSL AND CONTACTED ATC FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. AT 1243 HOURS (LOCAL) THE CHS CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WANTED TO REMAIN AT 1600 FEET MSL OR CLIMB TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE. THE AIRMAN STATED HE WANTED TO STAY LOW TO MAINTAIN VFR. THE CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED AND INSTRUCTED THE AIRMAN TO MAINTAIN VFR, ALTITUDE YOUR DISCRETION. AT 1251 HOURS (LOCAL), THE CONTROLLER NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING AND ASKED THE AIRMAN IF HE WAS MANEUVERING TO AVOID CLOUDS. THERE WAS A BRIEF PAUSE AND THE AIRMAN REPLIED “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, IN THE CLOUDS..GOING DOWN”. NO OTHER COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE AIRMAN.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A MARSH AREA OFF ABBAPOOLA CREEK, APPROXIMATELY 1.6 MILES SOUTH OF CHARLESTON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (JZI). ACCESS TO ACCIDENT SITE WAS PROVIDED BY THE CHARLESTON COUNTY SHERRIFF’S DEPARTMENT AIR BOAT. THE WRECKAGE WAS CONTAINED TO AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET BY 50 FEET. FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH A SHEEN ON THE WATER. ONE WITNESS WHO HAD HIS HEAD DOWN, LOADING A BOAT, HEARD THE AIRCRAFTS ENGINE WHINING BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE MARSH AND LOOKED UP RIGHT AFTER IT IMPACTED THE MARCH AND SAW MUD AND DEBRIS FLY INTO THE AIR. ANOTHER WITNESS WHO WAS LOCATED AT THE END OF LEGAREVILLE ROAD STATED HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT AND LOOKED UP TO SEE IT GO STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE MARSH.
THE WEATHER REPORTED AT JZI AT 1255 HOURS (LOCAL) WAS WINDS VARIABLE FROM 180 TO 240 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 18 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 MILES WITH A OVERCAST CEILING AT 1300 FEET. TEMPERATURE WAS 22 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEWPOINT 18 DEGREES CELSIUS.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED ON MARCH 30, 2023 AND TRANSPORTED TO A SALVAGE YARD TO BE INSPECTED AND ENGINE TEAR DOWN ANALYSIS PERFORMED. AIR WORTHINESS INSPECTORS FROM THE ATL FSDO OBSERVED THE INSPECTIONS.
THE AIRMAN WAS A PRIVATE PILOT SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATED WITH A TOTAL OF 740 HOURS REPORTED ON HIS LAST MEDICAL EXAMINATION. AIRMAN’S THIRD CLASS MEDICAL WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 3, 2022.
THE NTSB INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N21480 · 1
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