Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Conway, SC
On September 14, 2022, a Piper PA-28R-201 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Conway, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 14, 2022
- Place
- Conway, SC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.812°N, 78.967°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220914105936
Official records · CEN22FA419
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 14, 2022, about 1222 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-201 airplane, N62FC, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Conway, South Carolina. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, about 1205, and was en route to Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina. Shortly after departure from MYR, the pilot reported to air traffic control (ATC) that he was having problems with the compass, which resulted in difficulty maintaining assigned headings. He stated that he wanted to return to the airport and was not declaring an emergency. About 30 seconds later, the pilot reported a loss of engine power. He informed ATC that he was unable to make it back to MYR and had identified an off-field landing area. Surveillance video captured the airplane as it flew low near trees but did not capture the accident sequence due to a power surge when the airplane impacted a powerline. The airplane first impacted an estimated 40-ft-tall pine tree and then a powerline and came to rest against a berm along a gravel roadway. The right wing and vertical stabilizer separated during the impact with the pine tree and powerline respectively. A postcrash fire ensued that consumed much of the wreckage and back burned to the tree from the initial impact. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane had been at Executive HeliJet Aviation, Myrtle Beach, South Caroli
Probable cause
The mechanic’s failure to install the required gasket on the vacuum pump drive pad in accordance with the maintenance manual, which resulted in oil exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the Director of Maintenance’s failure to verify the installation of the vacuum pump gasket before returning the airplane to service.
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 · 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.
