Edward R. Sugg Sonex accident near Marion, SC
On September 12, 2018, an Edward R. Sugg Sonex (airplane) was involved in an accident near Marion, SC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 12, 2018
- Place
- Marion, SC
- Aircraft
- Edward R. Sugg Sonex · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.000°N, 79.000°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180912X42701
Official records · ERA18LA249
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On September 12, 2018, about 1320 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Sonex airplane, N75SX, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Marion, South Carolina. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Florence Regional Airport (FLO), Florence, South Carolina, at an unknown time.According to the pilot's daughter, her father was going for a local pleasure flight before Hurricane Florence moved through the area. A witness, who was standing in his backyard about 1/4-mile from the accident site, heard the airplane's engine and it sounded like it had "...a whole lot of power." When he saw the airplane, he thought it was a crop duster because it was low to the ground, and then climbed straight up before it dove straight down as if it was going to "make a pass." But the airplane continued straight toward the ground and there did not appear to be an attempt by the pilot to "pull out" of the dive. The airplane descended behind a tree line and the witness heard it impact the ground. The 1353 weather observation at FLO, located about 19 miles west of the accident site, included wind from 090° at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 9,000 ft above ground level, temperature 33°C, dew point 23°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury. The airplane impacted a field and the engine, cockpit, both wings,
Probable cause
Impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
- Piper PA-32R-300, Jul 2, 2023
- Beech 58TC, Dec 26, 1991
- Learjet LR60, Sep 20, 2008
- Mooney M20J, Apr 17, 2026
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.
