14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 27, 2012 in Anderson, SC
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/18/2013
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N154CK
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot receiving instruction performed several takeoffs and landings with a flight instructor aboard. The flight instructor then disembarked and told the pilot to perform three additional solo takeoffs and landings (to a full stop), which the instructor observed from the ground. According to the flight instructor, the pilot’s first flight around the airport traffic pattern appeared normal and terminated in a full stop landing and taxi back to the runway for the next takeoff. The instructor stated that the airplane appeared to touch down normally during the second landing; however, shortly thereafter the engine power increased and the airplane began to ascend. The airplane then climbed at a steep angle, entered an aerodynamic stall, and impacted terrain to the left of the runway.
Review of data recorded by an onboard recoverable data module showed that as the airplane approached the runway during the landing, the stall warning activated and 1 second later the pilot increased engine power. As the engine power increased, the airplane began an unarrested turn to the left and the pilot retracted the airplane’s flaps from the fully extended to the fully retracted position, which was contrary to the airframe manufacturer's published procedure for a balked landing. The data showed that after it reached an altitude of about 75 feet above ground level, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall, and then rolled left while pitching down. The data recording ended before the airplane impacted terrain.
Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The installed whole airframe parachute system likely deployed during the postimpact fire; however, given the low altitude at which the aerodynamic stall occurred, it is unlikely that preimpact deployment of the system would have positively affected the outcome of the accident.
Review of the pilot’s flight logs showed that he had accumulated more than 330 total hours of flight experience, including more than 220 hours in the accident airplane; however, he had not previously flown the accident airplane solo before the accident flight. Review of autopsy and toxicology test results showed no evidence of any preexisting condition that would have been expected to result in the pilot’s incapacitation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during the aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On April 27, 2012, about 1256 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, N154CK, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Anderson Regional Airport (AND), Anderson, South Carolina. The private pilot/owner was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The local personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot's flight instructor, and close friend, recounted the events that transpired prior to and during the accident flight. According to the flight instructor, he had been providing the pilot with flight instruction toward his instrument rating in the weeks preceding the accident flight. The purpose of the flight on the day of the accident was to practice flying under visual flight rules. The flight originated at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), Greenville, South Carolina about 1000, and they proceeded to Oconee County Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina, where the pilot performed 1 full stop practice landing, then departed for AND. The flight instructor then monitored the pilot as he performed about 6 or 7 practice takeoffs and landings, all of which terminated in a full stop and taxi back to runway 23. The pilot then taxied the airplane to the fixed base operator (FBO), where the flight instructor disembarked and told the pilot to perform 3 additional practice takeoffs and landings.
The pilot's first solo takeoff and landing appeared normal, and after the landing the pilot taxied the airplane back to the beginning of the runway before initiating the takeoff, as he had done previously with the flight instructor aboard. During the second circuit, the flight instructor observed the airplane's landing light on final approach to the runway. The airplane appeared to land normally, touching down within the first 10 to 15 percent of the runway. Expecting the airplane to continue down the runway and exit on a taxiway, he was surprised when he saw the landing light begin to ascend. As it approached, he could see that the airplane had pitched upward steeply, to an angle of about 40 degrees. The airplane climbed in that attitude until the left wing suddenly dropped, similar in appearance to an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then descended in a steep, nose-down attitude until the he lost sight of it behind sloping terrain southeast of runway 23.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. According to his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman file, the pilot was issued a Notice of Disapproval of Application following unsatisfactory performance of the practical portion of his private pilot certificate practical evaluation on November 14, 2009. The pilot was subsequently re-examined on Area of Operation IV, Tasks D and F (Soft-Field Approach and Landing and Short-Field Approach and Landing), and issued a private pilot certificate on November 28, 2009. The pilot’s most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on July 22, 2010, with the limitation “Must have available glasses for near vision.”
Review of the pilot’s personal flight log showed that he began flight training in July 2008. He accumulated 113 total hours of flight experience between that time and the time he earned his private pilot certificate. All but 16 of those hours were completed in Cessna 172 airplanes. In December 2009, the pilot purchased the accident airplane, and since that time, the pilot had accumulated 226 additional hours of flight experience. Additionally, all of the flight experience the pilot had accumulated since that time were logged as either dual flight instruction, or logged with a flight instructor signoff.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The weather conditions reported at AND, at 1256, included clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, winds from 265 degrees magnetic at 9 knots, temperature 26 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 17 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury. The calculated wind components for runway 23 included a headwind of 7 knots and a right crosswind of 5 knots.
AIRPORT IN FORMATION
The Anderson Regional airport was comprised of intersecting runways configured in a 5/23 and 17/35 orientation. Runway 23 was 6,002 feet long by 149 feet wide, was aligned on a heading of 231 degrees magnetic, and was equipped with a 4-light precision approach path indicator. A parallel taxiway was present on the northwest side of the runway, and the runway intersected runway 17/35 about 3,200 feet beyond the approach threshold. The airport elevation was 782 feet.
FLIGHT RECORDERS
Recoverable Data Module (RDM)
A crash-hardened flight data recording device was installed in the vertical stabilizer of the accident airplane, and was recovered from the airplane at the accident site. The RDM recorded numerous flight parameters at a rate of 1 Hz. Data from the RDM were downloaded without incident, and about 145 hours of flight time were present. The data contained the entirety of the accident flight. All altitudes given below are pressure altitudes recorded by the RDM, unless otherwise stated.
The details of the accident flight recorded by the RDM were consistent with the recount of events provided by the flight instructor. As the airplane was on final approach to runway 23, the flaps were fully extended, the airspeed varied between 91 and 99 knots, and the descent rate varied between 1,120 feet per minute and 688 feet per minute. During the final approach, the engine power generally decreased from about 32 percent power to 25 percent as the airplane crossed the runway threshold, at 1255:44.
The airplane continued to descend over the next 11 seconds until reaching a low altitude of 742 feet, about 1,700 feet beyond the runway threshold. During that time, the pitch remained relatively stable until 1255:54, when it began to increase, and the stall warning activated 1 second later. At 1255:56, the engine power began increasing and 3 seconds later, the flap position switch transitioned from the down to the up position as the pitch continued to increase to a maximum of 13 degrees nose up. Over the next several seconds, the airplane began turning left and had departed the left lateral boundary of the runway by 1256:01. By 1256:03, the engine power had reached 101 percent, the stall warning remained active, the heading had drifted left from 234 degrees to 208 degrees, the pitch had increased to a maximum of 15 degrees nose up, and the airplane had climbed 75 feet.
The final data point was recorded at 1256:05. At that time, the airplane’s pressure altitude was 825 feet (about 50 feet above ground level), the heading was 177 degrees, the pitch was 3 degrees nose up, the roll was 57 degrees left wing down, the airspeed was 70 knots, the stall warning was active, the flaps were retracted, and the engine power was at 98 percent. The airplane was 167 feet left of the runway boundary at that point.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The initial impact point (IIP) was located about 250 feet from the left edge of runway 23, at a point about 2,730 feet from the runway threshold. The IIP was located about 128 feet south of the airplane’s final RDM recorded position, on a 180-degree magnetic bearing. The IIP consisted of a 1.5-foot-deep crater that was 7 feet long by 5 feet wide. Located within the crater were two of the three composite propeller blades, which had separated at the propeller hub. An approximate 50-foot wreckage path, oriented about 160 degrees magnetic, led from the initial impact point to the main wreckage. Along the wreckage path were broken pieces of the engine cowling and windscreen. The main wreckage was oriented roughly 330 degrees magnetic, and consisted of the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The fuselage and right wing were almost completely consumed by a post-impact fire.
The fuselage, including the instrument panel, cabin, baggage compartment, and right wing, was nearly consumed by the post-impact fire. The left wing and empennage remained relatively intact.
Flight control continuity was confirmed from the rudder, elevator, and left aileron control surfaces to the cabin area; however, due to the extent of thermal damage, control continuity for the right aileron could not be confirmed. Measurement of the flap actuator correlated to the flaps being retracted at impact. The pitch and roll trim motors were found positioned near neutral trim positions.
The fuel selector was found set to the left main fuel tank position, and during the wreckage recovery about 15 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank. The standby attitude indicator was recovered displaying a wings-level inverted attitude. No other flight instrument or switch positions could be discerned due to the extent of the post-impact fire damage.
The whole-airframe parachute system activation handle was located within its holder, with the safety pin removed. The parachute remained packed and was thermally damaged. The parachute system enclosure cover was found 10 feet to the right of the wreckage. Both reefing line cutters were found expended and had their ignition loops in place. The rocket motor, pick-up collar, lanyards, and incremental bridle were not located within the wreckage.
The engine remained attached to the firewall via various hoses, cables, and wires. Continuity of the valvetrain and powertrain were confirmed through rotation of the propeller. Compression was observed on all cylinders except number 5. Borescope examination of the cylinder revealed the presence of ingested dirt underneath both the intake and exhaust valve heads. Examination of both turbochargers revealed the presence of ingested dirt, though both remained free to rotate. The fuel pump input drive rotated freely by hand and its input driveshaft was intact. Rotation of both magneto drives produced spark at all terminal leads.
Two of the three propeller blades had separated from their respective hub sockets, and were recovered from within the initial impact point.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Anderson County Coroner, Anderson, South Carolina. The stated cause of death was "blunt force trauma."
The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing on samples of the pilot’s blood, urine, and vitreous. No carbon monoxide or cyanide was detected in the blood sample. No ethanol was detected in the vitreous sample. Ranitidine and Tamsulosin were detected in samples of blood and urine. Diphenhydramine, Ibuprofen, Nadolol, Quinine, and Tetrahydrozoline were only detected in the pilot’s urine.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
According to the airframe manufacturer’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook, at the airplane’s maximum gross weight and most forward center of gravity, with 0 degrees of bank, the indicated stall speed was 73 knots with the flaps retracted and 62 knots with the flaps fully extended.
The manufacturer’s “Balked Landing/Go-Around” procedure stated in part, “…apply full power, then reduce the flap setting to 50%. If obstacles must be cleared during the go around, climb at 75-80 [knots indicated airspeed] with 50% flaps. After clearing any obstacles, retract the flaps and accelerate to the normal flaps up climb speed.”
Review of guidance provided by the airframe manufacturer for deployment of the whole-airframe parachute system showed that, “Altitude loss from level flight deployments has been demonstrated at less than 400 feet. With these numbers in mind it might be useful to keep 2,000 feet AGL [above ground level] in mind as a cut-off decision altitude. Above 2,000 feet, there would normally be time to systematically assess and address the aircraft emergency. Below 2,000 feet, the decision to activate the [the whole-airframe parachute system] has to come almost immediately in order to maximize the possibility of successful deployment.”
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA303
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 27, 2012 in Anderson, SC
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR22, registration: N154CK
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 27, 2012, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, N154CK, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Anderson Regional Airport (AND), Anderson, South Carolina. The certificated private pilot/owner was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The local personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot's flight instructor, and close friend, recounted the events that transpired prior to and during the accident flight. According to the flight instructor, he had been providing the pilot with flight instruction toward his instrument rating in the weeks preceding the accident flight. The purpose of the flight on the day of the accident was to practice flying under visual flight rules. The flight originated at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), Greenville, South Carolina about 1000, and they proceeded to Oconee County Airport (CEU), Clemson, South Carolina, where the pilot performed 1 full stop practice landing, then departed for AND. The flight instructor then observed the pilot as he performed about 6 or 7 practice takeoffs and landings, all of which terminated in a full stop and taxi back to runway 23. The pilot then taxied the airplane to the fixed base operator (FBO), where the flight instructor disembarked the airplane and told the pilot to perform 3 additional practice takeoffs and landings.
The pilot's first solo takeoff and landing appeared normal. During the second circuit, the flight instructor observed the airplane's landing light on final approach to the runway. The airplane appeared to land normally, touching down within the first 10 to 15 percent of the runway. Expecting the airplane to continue down the runway and exit on a taxiway, he was surprised when he saw the landing light begin to ascend. As it approached, he could see that the airplane had pitched upward steeply, to an angle of about 40 degrees. The airplane climbed in that attitude until the left wing suddenly dropped, similar in appearance to an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then descended in a steep, nose-down attitude until the he lost sight of it behind sloping terrain southeast of runway 23.
The initial impact point was located about 250 feet from the left edge of runway 23, at a point about 2,730 feet from the runway threshold. The initial impact point consisted of a 1.5-foot-deep crater that was 7 feet long by 5 feet wide. Located within the crater were two of the three composite propeller blades, which had separated at the propeller hub. An approximate 50-foot wreckage path, oriented about 160 degrees magnetic, led from the initial impact point to the main wreckage. Along the wreckage path were broken pieces of the engine cowling and windscreen. The main wreckage was oriented roughly 330 degrees magnetic, and consisted of the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The fuselage and right wing were almost completely consumed by a post-impact fire.
ANDERSON, S.C. — William T. Hayden, 58, died of blunt force trauma to the chest and a broken neck after a plane crash on Friday, officials with the Anderson County Coroner’s Office said. The crash that killed the Anderson Township attorney and businessman was ruled accidental. Results of the toxicology test won’t be know for a few weeks. The test will be performed at a lab in Oklahoma City.
The engine of a Cirrus SR22 GTS X Turbo aircraft is placed on a trailer bed before being taken to an Atlanta-area building for closer examination.
Stephen Vibbard, left, and an officer with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office look Saturday afternoon at the wreckage of a Cirrus SR22 GTS X Turbo aircraft that crashed Friday.
ANDERSON —
The burned wreckage of a single-engine plane that crashed at the
Anderson County Regional Airport Friday was hauled off Saturday on the
back of a trailer.
Pilot William "Bill" T. Hayden, the only person on the plane, died
in the wreck after the second of what were to have been three
touch-and-go drills, officials said.
Bill Settle, an experienced trainer, had been on board until shortly
before the wreck when he got out to watch his lifelong friend attempt
the three maneuvers. Settle is an expert trainer specializing in Cirrus
planes, including the popular four-seat SR22 prop airplane that crashed.
Settle told officials that Hayden had left the runway and climbed
steeply before his engine stalled and the plane rolled to the ground,
Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said.
Both Settle and Hayden are from Cincinnati and were at Hayden's other
home near Hendersonville, N.C., before arriving at the Anderson airport
late Friday morning.
National Traffic Safety Board investigator Dennis Diaz is one of
several officials, including the Federal Aviation Administration,
looking into the crash.
Diaz and others collected perishable evidence — photos, measurements
and observations of the wreckage — before a crew of airplane recovery
experts from Atlanta arrived Saturday around 5 p.m. to remove it.
The plane parts will be taken to an Atlanta-area building for careful examination.
Diaz said his preliminary results about the cause of the crash will be available at his agency's website in about 10 days.
Details about the cause would not be available until then, he said.
Following the preliminary investigation will be an intermediate statement on probable cause expected in about two months.
Officials will release a final report between six months and a year
from now, said Nicholas Orrell, a spokesman for the safety board.
A recoverable data module, similar to the "black boxes" required for
larger aircraft, was located and appeared to be in good condition, Diaz
said. It will be sent to a Washington, D.C., lab for data recovery.
Diaz said he would not yet discuss much of what witnesses had
reported but was able to confirm that several people had heard a pop or a
bang coming from a fire-extinguisher-sized charge that shoots off a
parachute attached to the plane. The noise was heard after Settle and
two others had attempted to rescue Hayden but were forced back by the
fire.
The heat of the fire may have set off the charge.
The parachute was still on board the plane but the cartridge had been
ejected, possibly into the distant treeline, and had not been located.
Parachutes only work at certain altitudes, Diaz said.
The parachute's ability to have been deployed, he said, is only one
of dozens of variables officials will consider, including weather,
maintenance records, training logs, parts, design and production.
A special tractor was used to get down into the valley where the plane crashed.
The engine, wings and other rubble were loaded onto a semi-truck's trailer and hauled away.
The Friday wreck was the first serious accident at the airport since the 1970s, airport officials said.
Both of the airport's runways were open Saturday.
A Cirrus SR22 crashed at Anderson Regional Airport on Friday afternoon, landing in a field near a secondary runway.
Anderson County Coroners Greg Shore, left,
and Don McCown examine the wreckage of a small plane that crashed at the
Anderson Regional Airport Friday afternoon.
Photo by Nathan Gray, Anderson Independent Mail
Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown,
right, and a member of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office walk towards
the wreckage of a single-engine plane that crashed at the Anderson
Regional Airport Friday afternoon.
Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown,
right, and a member of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office examine the
wreckage of a single-engine plane that crashed at the Anderson Regional
Airport Friday afternoon.
Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown,
middle, and a member of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office examine the
wreckage of a single-engine plane that crashed at the Anderson Regional
Airport Friday afternoon.
Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown
examines the wreckage of a single-engine plane that crashed at the
Anderson Regional Airport Friday afternoon.
William T. Hayden, a local lawyer and businessman, died Friday doing what he loved: flying a plane.
Hayden, 58, of Anderson Township, was killed when his single-engine plane crashed and caught fire Friday afternoon at the Anderson County airport in Anderson, S.C.
His friend and instructor, Bill Settle, of Anderson Township, suffered burns on his face after he raced to the scene to try to pull his friend from the burning plane, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore.
Settle is being treated at a South Carolina hospital.
Hayden, a father of three, served on the board of directors and as external general counsel for the Midland Co., which was run by his brother John until 2010.
The $1.3 billion insurance company was founded by their grandfather in 1938.
Hayden also practiced corporate governance law at the firm Katz Teller Brant & Hild in downtown Cincinnati.
He was known in legal circles as an expert in bankruptcy refinancing.
“Bill was a gifted lawyer, a devoted son and brother, just a very loving father to his kids and to his wife, Debbie,” said John Hayden.
He said his brother left a mark on those who knew him.
“Bill very much cared about Cincinnati. And those who knew him and worked with him knew that he ran very deep and if he cared about you you knew it,” said John Hayden.
Hayden started training to become a pilot after the family sold Midland about two years ago.
“He found it stimulating and challenging,” said his brother. Hayden owned a plane that he hangared at Landmark Aviation.
“It’d been flying here for a couple hours,” said Steve Vibbard, the airport manager. “They were doing touch-and-go landings.”
Hayden, 58, of Anderson Township, was killed when his single-engine plane crashed and caught fire Friday afternoon at the Anderson County airport in Anderson, S.C.
His friend and instructor, Bill Settle, of Anderson Township, suffered burns on his face after he raced to the scene to try to pull his friend from the burning plane, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore.
Settle is being treated at a South Carolina hospital.
Hayden, a father of three, served on the board of directors and as external general counsel for the Midland Co., which was run by his brother John until 2010.
The $1.3 billion insurance company was founded by their grandfather in 1938.
Hayden also practiced corporate governance law at the firm Katz Teller Brant & Hild in downtown Cincinnati.
He was known in legal circles as an expert in bankruptcy refinancing.
“Bill was a gifted lawyer, a devoted son and brother, just a very loving father to his kids and to his wife, Debbie,” said John Hayden.
He said his brother left a mark on those who knew him.
“Bill very much cared about Cincinnati. And those who knew him and worked with him knew that he ran very deep and if he cared about you you knew it,” said John Hayden.
Hayden started training to become a pilot after the family sold Midland about two years ago.
“He found it stimulating and challenging,” said his brother. Hayden owned a plane that he hangared at Landmark Aviation.
“It’d been flying here for a couple hours,” said Steve Vibbard, the airport manager. “They were doing touch-and-go landings.”
Before the crash, Settle got out of the plane and Hayden took off alone.
But as it was taking off, the plane veered off the runway, went into a ravine and caught fire, Vibbard said.
Settle, who was standing in front of the terminal watching the maneuver, ran to the plane and tried to pull his friend from the wreckage, but Hayden’s feet were pinned inside the plane, Shore said.
He believes Hayden died before the plane caught fire. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Shore said the men had known each other since they were kids. They lived about two miles from each other in Anderson Township.
Hayden and his wife had just finished building a second home in North Carolina and had begun splitting their time between there and Cincinnati.
Debbie Hayden was in North Carolina at the time of the crash.
It is unclear what caused the crash.
This is not the first time the Hayden family has been touched by tragedy. Their daughter, Page Ann, died in a car crash in 2002 while driving home from work. She was 22.
In addition to his work as a lawyer and with Midland, Hayden was also on the board of directors for CenterBank and served on the board of Talbert House in 2008 and 2009.
In addition to his wife and brother John, Hayden is survived by his three children, Amy, William Jr., and Michael; and brothers Jay and Tom.
But as it was taking off, the plane veered off the runway, went into a ravine and caught fire, Vibbard said.
Settle, who was standing in front of the terminal watching the maneuver, ran to the plane and tried to pull his friend from the wreckage, but Hayden’s feet were pinned inside the plane, Shore said.
He believes Hayden died before the plane caught fire. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Shore said the men had known each other since they were kids. They lived about two miles from each other in Anderson Township.
Hayden and his wife had just finished building a second home in North Carolina and had begun splitting their time between there and Cincinnati.
Debbie Hayden was in North Carolina at the time of the crash.
It is unclear what caused the crash.
This is not the first time the Hayden family has been touched by tragedy. Their daughter, Page Ann, died in a car crash in 2002 while driving home from work. She was 22.
In addition to his work as a lawyer and with Midland, Hayden was also on the board of directors for CenterBank and served on the board of Talbert House in 2008 and 2009.
In addition to his wife and brother John, Hayden is survived by his three children, Amy, William Jr., and Michael; and brothers Jay and Tom.
http://local.cincinnati.com
ANDERSON — A single-engine plane crashed Friday afternoon at the Anderson Regional Airport, killing its 58-year-old pilot.
William “Bill” T. Hayden, the only person in the plane, was doing the second of three planned touch-and-go exercises, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. The exercises have a pilot touch the plane’s wheels to a runway and almost immediately lift off again.
Hayden’s lifelong friend, Bill Settle, had gotten off the plane and watched as Hayden did the first touch-and-go, Shore said.
Settle saw Hayden’s second attempt and told the coroner that the plane left the runway before climbing steeply, stalling and rolling into the ground.
The cause of the crash has not been determined Friday evening as federal investigators began to arrive at the airport, officials said.
Both Settle and Hayden are from Cincinnati. Hayden also has a home in Tuxedo, N.C., near Hendersonville, and the two friends took the plane from North Carolina to Anderson on Friday, officials said.
It was not clear whose plane it was.
Hayden had experience as a pilot but not nearly as much as Settle, who has logged 4,000 hours in similar Cirrus planes and thousands of hours in other aircraft, according to a profile of Settle from an Ohio airport where he offers training courses geared toward Cirrus planes.
The plane that crashed was a Cirrus SR22, the bestselling single-engine plane in the world for the past decade. Settle was responsible for sales of that and other planes in 20 states — from the Midwest to Florida — as a regional training manager before retiring from Cirrus in 2011.
Hayden’s plane was not based in Anderson, said Stephen Vibbard, manager of the Anderson Regional Airport.
Both men were in the plane when they began to do training exercises — including touch-and-go drills and flying by instrumentation — between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Vibbard said.
The wreck happened around 1 p.m.
Settle was watching from the small Anderson terminal when the plane crashed and he ran to help.
Settle was taken to AnMed Health Medical Center after he suffered some second-degree burns to his face in an attempt to free his best friend from the burning plane. Two others, an airport worker and someone affiliated with a small jet that was on the tarmac, also ran to the crash site.
The plane crashed in a valley about 600 yards from the runway, with its nose perpendicular to the runway.
Witnesses reported seeing a large plume of black smoke more than a mile away before the fire was extinguished about 1:15 p.m. Firefighters were able to put out the initial flames within about 20 minutes, said Taylor Jones, emergency services director for Anderson County.
Later, wind blew away foam that had been laid down to stop the chemical fire from the airplane’s fuel and the plane briefly reignited around 2:30 p.m. before being doused again.
Investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration arrived Friday and more investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are expected today.
The airport has two runways, including a main 6,000-foot strip, and is on about 750 acres about three miles southwest of Anderson on S.C. 24.
The main runway was reopened around 4 p.m. and the smaller runway remained closed Friday night.
Officials at the airport said that no major accidents have happened at the airport in decades but they said several experienced pilots recalled a fatal plane accident there in the 1970s.
Independent Mail reporter Kirk Brown contributed to this story.
ANDERSON, S.C — An Anderson Township man was killed and his flight instructor and lifelong friend was injured in a single-engine plane crash Friday afternoon at the Anderson County airport in Anderson, South Carolina.
The pilot, William T. Hayden, 58, was killed when the plane he was flying crashed on takeoff around 1 p.m. Friday, then caught fire.
His friend and instructor, Bill Settle, of Anderson Township, suffered burns on his face after he raced to the crash scene to try to pull his friend from the burning plane, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore.
Settle is being treated at a South Carolina hospital.
Public records show that Hayden, a father of three, was a lawyer at the firm Katz Teller Brant & Hild on Fifth Street in downtown Cincinnati where he practiced corporate governance law. He was on the board of directors for the Talbert House in 2008 and 2009 and was a member of Leadership Cincinnati in 2006, according to records and news clips.
On Friday, Hayden and Settle had been practicing landings and takeoffs at the airport all morning. Shore said Settle was helping Hayden expand his training to instrument ratings – learning to fly above the clouds relying only on the plane’s instruments.
“It’d been flying here for a couple hours,” said Steve Vibbard, the airport manager. “They were doing touch-and-go landings.”
Before the crash, Settle got out of the plane and the Hayden took off alone. As it was taking off the plane veered off the runway, went into a ravine and caught fire, Vibbard said.
Settle, who was standing in front of the terminal watching the maneuver, ran to the plane and tried to pull his friend from the wreckage, but Hayden’s feet were pinned inside the plane, Shore said. He believes Hayden was deceased before the plane caught fire. An autopsy is scheduled Sunday. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Shore said the men had known each other since they were kids. they lived about two miles from each other in Anderson Township.
“It’s just very tragic,” he said.
Hayden also also owns a home in Henderson N.C. His wife was in South Carolina at the time of the crash. The couple also have three grown children, said Shore.
The last fatal crash at the airport occurred in the 1970s, said Vibbard.
Hayden received his law license in 1979 from the University of Cincinnati. He was a settlement trustee in the Fernald case He was named with 16 other attorneys from his law firm Woodwar/White’s The Best Lawyers in America and has been recognized by Law & Politics Media In. as an Ohio Super Lawyer.
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. -- Coroners were called to the Anderson Regional Airport and say there is one confirmed fatality after the single engine plane crashed at the end of the runway.
Taylor Jones with Anderson County Emergency Services says the plane landed at the airport, one person got out and the pilot went to take off.
The plane went down near the end of runway 17 when two people, along with the person who was previously on the plane, ran to rescue the pilot inside the fiery cockpit.
The person who got off the plane, the pilot's best friend, was burned and is now being treated at the hospital.
The pair had been practicing landings.
Corner Greg Shore says the pilot, 58-year-old Bill Hayden, was from Cincinnati, OH and had property in Tuxedo, NC. He picked up his best friend, also of Cincinnati, and was working on his second approach by himself and as he jerked the plane and went off the end of the runway.
Officials say Hayden had "quite a few hours" piloting and his friend was helping him work towards his next level of certification.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Sunday.
ANDERSON, S.C — A Cincinnati man was killed and his flight instructor and lifelong friend was injured in a single-engine plane crash Friday afternoon at the Anderson County airport in Anderson, South Carolina.
The pilot’s name has not yet been released pending notification of relatives.
The friend has been identified as Bill Settle, of Anderson Township. He suffered burns on his face as he raced to the crash scene to try to pull his friend from the burning plane, said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. Settle is being treated at a South Carolina hospital.
The crash occurred around 1 p.m. The pair had been practicing landings and takeoffs at the airport all morning. Shore said Settle was helping the pilot expand his license into instrument ratings. “It’d been flying here for a couple hours,” said Steve Vibbard, the airport manager. “They were doing touch-and-go landings.”
Before the crash, Settle got out of the plane and the pilot took off alone. As it was taking off it veered off the runway, went into a ravine and caught fire, Vibbard said.
Settle tried to pull his friend from the wreckage, but the pilot’s feet were pinned inside the plane. Shore said he thinks the pilot was deceased before the plane caught fire.
Shore said the pair had known each other since they were kids. “It’s just very tragic,” he said. The pilot also owns a home in Henderson S.C. His wife was in South Carolina at the time of the crash.
ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. -- Officials say a plane has crashed at an Upstate airport Friday killing one person.
Coroners were called to the Anderson Regional Airport and say there is one confirmed fatality after the single engine plane crashed at the end of the runway.
Taylor Jones with Anderson County Emergency Services says the plane landed at the airport, one person got out and the pilot went to take off.
The plane went down near the end of runway 17 when two people, along with the person who was previously on the plane, ran to rescue the pilot inside the fiery cockpit.
The person who got off the plane, the pilot's best friend, was burned and is now being treated at the hospital.
The pair had been practicing landings.
Corner Greg Shore says the pilot, who is not being identified at this time, was from Cincinnati, OH and has property in Hendersonville. He picked up his best friend, also of Cincinnati, and was working on his second approach by himself and as he jerked the plane and went off the runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the crash happened around 1 p.m. when a Cirrus aircraft went off the end of the runway.
A pilot was killed Friday when his plane crashed near an Upstate county airport.
Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said that the pilot, who was from Ohio, has property in the Hendersonville area.
Shore said the pilot had picked up his best friend in Hendersonville and they flew together to Anderson.
Shore said the pilot had dropped off his friend and was doing touch-and-goes when the plane went down.
Anderson County Emergency Services said the plane crashed near Airport Road at 12:59 p.m., about 100 yards south of the runway.
“(The
friend) heard the plane throttle back up. He saw the lift and saw it
stall. That’s all he could really tell us," Shore said. "When he got to
his friend’s wreckage, he attempted with a couple of other bystanders to
try and save his friend. It didn't work. He was pinned in and the fire
was eventually to a point he had to retreat."
The pilot’s friend was taken to AnMed Health for treatment.
“He
did have second-degree burns to the side of his face and ears. He was
taken to the hospital for treatment. He was visibly shaken over his
friend's death.”
ANDERSON —
At about 1 p.m. a single-engine plane crashed at the Anderson airport
killing one person, according to Coroner Greg Shore, who spoke at a 3
p.m. press conference at the airport.
The pilot, the only person in the plane, was practicing approaches in
a Cirrus four-seat plane when it crashed. The pilot, who was not
identified, is from Cincinnati, Ohio. He also has a home in
Hendersonville, N.C.
The plane is not based in Anderson, according to Stephen Vibbard, airport manager.
Witnesses reported seeing a large plume of black smoke before the fire was extinguished about 1:15 p.m.
Several fire stations and at least one hazardous materials unit were
directed to the main terminal at the Anderson County airport and then on
to the runway near Michelin Boulevard.
The airport has a 6,000-foot runway and is on about 750 acres three miles southwest of Anderson on S.C. 24.
The pilot and an unidentified friend were seen at the airport earlier performing exercises with the plane and flying by instruments, the
airport manager said.
