Piper PA-23-250 accident near Summerville, SC
On October 21, 2009, a Piper PA-23-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Summerville, SC. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 21, 2009
- Place
- Summerville, SC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 33.060°N, 80.281°W
- NTSB ID
- 20091021X75308
Official records · ERA10FA024
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 21, 2009, about 0624 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N62635, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain immediately after takeoff from the Summerville Airport (DYB), Summerville, South Carolina. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed with a destination of St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR), Ft. Pierce, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot/owner and the three passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane was based at DYB. A few days prior to the accident, the pilot was observed flying the accident airplane in the traffic pattern at night, and several individuals at the airport reported that the pilot did this to ensure that he was current for night operations. Email printouts that were found on the floor of the hangar where the accident airplane was stored contained communications between the four occupants about the weight and balance of the airplane. Their email discussions also included the decision to create a list of what items should be left behind if the original planned load exceeded the airplane limitations. Other paperwork found in the hangar documented the weights, in pounds and ounces, of the planned cargo items. The occupants of the airplane were headed to an amateur radio operator contest in the Bahamas. A flight plan was filed for a 0545 departure from DYB. Several individuals who lived in houses located southeast and northwest o
Probable cause
Flight into terrain for undetermined reasons.
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Browse: South Carolina · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
