14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 03, 2013 in Conway, SC
Aircraft: BEECH D55, registration: N7641N
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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 August 3, 2013, about 1250 eastern daylight time, a Beech D55, N7641N, owned and operated by a private individual, was destroyed by postimpact fire/explosion when it impacted a telephone pole and then terrain near Conway, South Carolina. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The flight departed from Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW), Conway, South Carolina, about 1200. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to witnesses, they heard the airplane approaching from the southwest and noticed it was extremely low. The airplane then executed a steep right turn, leveled its wings, and begun to rock side to side. The airplane descended and its left wing impacted a telephone pole at an estimated height of 30 feet above ground level. The airplane then spun approximately 180 degrees and impacted terrain, exploding shortly after impact.
The accident site was located at the entrance of a residential neighborhood, about 2 miles to the north of the approach end of runway 22 at HYW. The wreckage was oriented about 305 degrees magnetic. All flight control surfaces were accounted for at the scene. A piece of the left wing spar and panel were found about 20 feet from the wreckage. Flight control continuity was confirmed for the elevator and rudder to the aft cabin area, but due to the postcrash fire continuity could not be confirmed for the ailerons. The right engine’s propeller blades exhibited postcrash impact damage with minimal leading edge and rotational signature damage. Two of the left engine’s propeller blades exhibited S-curve bending and tip curling. The third propeller blade was located about 190 feet north of the wreckage and exhibited S-curve bending.
A handheld GPS receiver, two smart phones, iPad mini, and a Garmin GTN 750, were recovered from the wreckage and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for data download. The two engines will be retained for further examination.
This week, memorial services and funerals are being held for the three people killed in a plane crash in Conway over the weekend.
The man who taught two of them to fly says he can't believe they're gone.
In a close-knit community of pilots, Roberto Pino says he'll never forget James Major, Jr. and Kenneth Piuma.
Pino explained that a little more than a year ago, Major, 39, came to him to learn how to fly, and very quickly, the two became good friends.
"He was very giving, very helpful. He always was there when you needed," Pino explained.
A few months later, Pino met Piuma, 42, also looking for flight instruction. He added that Piuma and Major were friends.
On Saturday, Major was flying his Beech Baron with passengers Piuma and Donnie Becker, when it crashed in Conway, killing all three.
Pino said that he found out right away that Major was on the plane and had a feeling Piuma was with him.
"I would keep calling his phone trying to find out. Hey, please give me a call, and please tell me that you are not with James. Later on that day, I came to find out that yes, he was with him."
In an instant, Pino lost two friends.
"It was devastating for me. It was hard for me to just comprehend the news. I don't know how to explain how painful that was for me to lose two friends at once," Pino explained.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but Pino thinks mechanical issues may have caused the accident. It will take about 10 days before investigators release a preliminary cause of the crash.
Pino said that every time he steps on an aircraft, he's going to remember his two friends.
A funeral was held Wednesday for Major and one will be held Thursday for Kenneth Piuma.
There will be a memorial service for Donnie Thursday at 5 p.m at St. James High School.
Story, Video, Photo and Comments/Reaction: http://www.carolinalive.com
