Cessna 401 accident near Salters, SC
On October 4, 2017, a Cessna 401 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Salters, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 4, 2017
- Place
- Salters, SC
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.496°N, 79.957°W
- NTSB ID
- 20171004X92434
Official records · ERA18FA004
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 4, 2017, about 1745 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 401B, N401HH, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near a private airport in Salters, South Carolina. The commercial pilot and passenger were 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 personal flight, which departed the airport about 1730. A witness at the airport reported seeing the airplane take off from the private grass runway. About 10 minutes later, the airplane made a low pass over the runway, then entered a steep climb. The witness stated that the airplane rolled left, the left wing dropped, and the airplane rolled inverted and began descending in a nose-low attitude. The airplane rolled to a level attitude before it disappeared behind trees. The wreckage was located in an open field that was surrounded by trees about 1 mile southwest of the runway. Another witness, who was about 1/2 mile from the end of the runway, described hearing the airplane make what sounded like a "high speed pass down the runway." He saw the airplane in a wings-level attitude, then it "snapped a barrel roll." He said the airplane rolled wings level over an open field about 100 to 150 yards before the tree line, and he subsequently heard the airplane impact trees. The first witness recorded a cell phone video of the airplane just before impact; the footage was consistent with his statement. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot h
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to attempt a low-altitude aerobatic maneuver in a non-aerobatic airplane, and his subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane during the maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment by the effects of diphenhydramine use, and his underlying mild cognitive impairment.
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Browse: South Carolina · Cessna 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.
