South Carolina Aviation Wrongful Death

ntsb.gov, Feb 27, 2006

On February 3, 2006, at 2045 eastern standard time, a Beech 200, N266EB, registered to Weekend Air Charter Services Inc., and operated by an individual as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while on final approach to runway 23, at the Grand Strand Airport, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airline transport-rated pilot, and five passengers received fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from Trenton, New Jersey on February 3, 2006, at 1900.

According to witnesses, the airplane made two approaches to runway 23. During the first approach the airplane was observed "fish tailing" while about 30' feet over the runway. The airplane appeared to regain control but continued flying over the runway until passing the air traffic control tower, at which time the airplane began a climbing left turn. The witnesses stated that they heard the pilot tell the air traffic controller that he was doing a go-around. The controller asked the pilot if he had problems with the sea fog. The pilot responded back to the controller "no" that "his left engine kept power up a little too much and would not come back." The witnesses observed the airplane circle the airport to the left, and watched it line up on runway 23 for the second time. The witnesses stated that as the airplane descended to the runway and without any indication of trouble, the airplane "climbed and rolled left, went inverted and nosed down into the grass to the left of the runway and burst into flames." The witnesses told someone to call the fire department and they proceeded to the airplane to see if they could give assistance. When they arrived at the airplane it was fully engulfed in flames.

Examination of the airplane on-scene, found the empennage of the airplane upright resting against the airport perimeter fence. The cockpit area was substantially damaged by impact and fire. The right engine had separated from the right wing and the right wing had separated from the airframe at the wing root. The left engine remained partially attached to the left wing. Both propellers had separated from their engines and were observed imbedded into the ground forward of the cockpit area.