Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Extra EA-400, N885AA: Incident occurred May 10, 2022 at Beaufort Executive Airport (KARW), South Carolina

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbia, South Carolina

Aircraft failed to rotate and ended up off the end of runway in a marsh. 

Wings of Hope Inc


Date: 10-MAY-22
Time: 22:34:00Z
Regis#: N885AA
Aircraft Make: EXTRA FLUGZEUGBAU
Aircraft Model: EA-400
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 91
City: BEAUFORT
State: SOUTH CAROLINA




The Beaufort Executive Airport reopened early Wednesday morning after a crew worked through the night to pull a small plane from the marsh following a mishap during takeoff, according to Beaufort County and airport officials. 

There were no injuries and no fuel spills or other hazards were reported. The Extra EA-400 went into the marsh around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in an aborted takeoff, officials said in a press release. The pilot and one passenger were taking off when “there appeared to be a malfunction of some sort,” according to Scott Harris, a spokesperson for Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District.

“She, the pilot, tried to abort the takeoff but ran out of runway, causing the single-engine plane to skid off of the runway into the marsh towards Sea Island Parkway,” Harris said.

When firefighters arrived, Harris said, both the pilot and passenger were in the plane but were able to walk out on their own.

Crews using a crane were able to recover the plane just after midnight, according to Jon Rembold, airport director for Beaufort County.

“Something like that requires a crane because you have to very carefully cradle the aircraft when you remove it,” Rembold said. “Even though it is a small airplane, it takes a lot of strength to move it just because ... you don’t want to drag something like that out of the marsh and do more damage.” 

Rembold did not immediately know the extent of the damage of the plane. The airport was closed while the crew worked to get the plane out of the marsh. It reopened around 4 or 5 a.m., Rembold said. 

The cause of the malfunction is under investigation, Harris said.






A small, private plane aborted its takeoff at around 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, and came to rest in the marsh at the end of the runway of the Beaufort Executive Airport on Lady’s Island.

According to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Bob Bromage, there were no injuries.

According to a later release by Beaufort County, the aircraft was carrying a pilot and a passenger, and there were no fuel spills or hazards.

Along with the BCSO, Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District responded.

According to the release, recovery of the plane is under way, and the airport will remain closed until the aircraft is removed from the marsh.

“I would like to thank Chief Bruce Kline and the Beaufort County Sheriff Deputies for their quick response and coordination with the FAA,” Airport Director Jon Rembold said in the news release.

3 comments:

  1. A rare bird with only 27 being built and 4 destroyed in crashes, 2 of which involved fatalities. A great aircraft that originally cost around $1m in 1998 ($1.8m today), about the price of a *used* late model G58 today yet has way more performance (and is pressurized). Too bad Extra ran into financial problems and production ended in the early '00s. These things if built today would really be selling as well as the EA 500 turbine version. It had a lot of engineering in it from the German-designed main landing gear to the recessed Fowler flaps. If you own one, you own a classic. Take care of it and don't get sloppy flying it.

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    1. This one was in bad shape and couldn’t sell a few years ago and was donated to Wings of Hope according to FAA records. Glad the pilots are ok. A rare bird indeed.

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  2. Wings of Hope have been trying to sell it for some time. Perhaps this was a demo flight. I do wish I had the bucks to save this bird!

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