Hall, Wendall W HARMON ROCKET II accident near Cheraw, SC
On March 24, 2016, a Hall, Wendall W HARMON ROCKET II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cheraw, SC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 24, 2016
- Place
- Cheraw, SC
- Aircraft
- Hall, Wendall W HARMON ROCKET II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.723°N, 79.883°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160324X32128
Official records · ERA16LA139
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On March 24, 2016, about 0748 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Harmon Rocket II, N729PS, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Cheraw, South Carolina. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which departed Cheraw Municipal Airport (CQW), Cheraw, South Carolina, about 0710.Witnesses observed the airplane flying at or near treetop height at several locations in and around the town of Cheraw on the morning of the accident. One witness, who was working alongside the Pee Dee River, stated that, just before the accident, the airplane was flying along the river about treetop level when it struck a power line. An electronic primary flight display and engine monitor system were recovered from the accident site and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for examination. Review of the downloaded GPS data revealed a low-level flightpath consistent with witness statements. During the 7 minutes before the accident, the airplane overflew an airport and the Pee Dee River at altitudes as low as 50 ft above ground level. Review of the engine monitor data did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land as well as a flight engineer certificate.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to fly at low altitude, which resulted in a collision with power lines.
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Browse: South Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
