Piper PA-32R-300 accident near North Myrtle Beach, SC
On July 2, 2023, a Piper PA-32R-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near North Myrtle Beach, SC. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 2, 2023
- Place
- North Myrtle Beach, SC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.904°N, 79.006°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230702192495
Official records · ERA23FA280
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 2, 2023, about 1102 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300, N5524F, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The private pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to family members, on June 30, 2023, two days before the accident, the pilot and passengers flew the accident airplane from Essex County Airport (CDW), Caldwell, New Jersey, to Grand Strand Airport (CRE), North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a vacation. The airplane was refueled upon arrival at CRE, taking on 69.4 gallons of aviation gasoline. No evidence was found of any subsequent flights before the accident flight. A witness on a golf course near CRE observed the airplane departing runway 23 and climbing with difficulty. He reported that the engine sounded "muffled" and underpowered, and the airplane appeared to struggle to gain altitude, flying with a high angle of attack. The airplane began a shallow right turn, then the right wing dropped, and the airplane rolled onto its side before descending rapidly into terrain. A postimpact fire ensued. Surveillance video showed the airplane during the initial climb with a nose-high attitude. The airplane continued in that attitude until it was no longer visible. The accident site was about two miles from the departure end of runway 23, in a wooded area adjacent to a golf course access road. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engin
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s operation of the airplane above its maximum gross weight and near its aft center of gravity limit, which reduced its climb performance and degraded its handling qualities.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
- Beech 58TC, Dec 26, 1991
- Learjet LR60, Sep 20, 2008
- Mooney M20J, Apr 17, 2026
- Piper PA32R, Oct 2, 2015
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.
