Stearman crash nearby :(.

[scottydawg]

http://charleston.net/news/2007/may/23/plane_crashes_mount_pleasant/

MOUNT PLEASANT — Two people died Wednesday after their small plane crashed into Charleston Harbor not far from Patriots Point, where a black-tie gala honoring Medal of Honor recipients was taking place, the Coast Guard said.

The World War II-era biplane went down on a sand bar about 150 yards from shore around 6:50 p.m., Coast Guard spokesman Sean Shrum said.

The Coast Guard didn’t receive any calls about the plane until it crashed, Shrum said.

A number of boats reached the wreckage about two miles southeast of Patriots Point before rescuers, but both people on the plane appeared to be killed on impact, Shrum said.

People living near the crash said the plane banked to the right before turning upside-down and crashing, The (Charleston) Post and Courier reported on its Web site.

Patrick Warren was with some friends at a park not far from the water when he heard the plane flying nearby, followed by a big splash.

They ran to the waterside and saw the wreckage in the distance. “It looked like a flipped boat or something,” Warren told The Associated Press by phone.

Warren said he watched as rescuers and police waded around the wreckage. He said it took him about five minutes to figure out it was a plane because the wings had snapped off.

The Coast Guard didn’t immediately know whether the plane had anything to do with the event honoring the Medal of Honor recipients, taking place two days before a museum honoring them opens.

The identities of the dead were not immediately available.
(Image removed from quote.)

The plane crashed right on the crab bank in front of Alhambra Hall, I've gotten my boat hung up there a couple of times.  It's very sad that two people died, and adding insult to injury is the loss of an irreplaceable piece of history.

Prayers to the families of those who died.

[Odee]

Amen...

[scottydawg]

The stearman was a PT-17 built in 1943.  It was registered locally and was frequently used for air tours.  they have not released any information on the crash victims, but I'm guessing it was the owner and someone who had bought a ride.

http://www.atiger.net/index.html
http://www.atiger.net/stearman.html
It was for sale, a beautiful plane.

Also according the the FAA this plane had two other serious crashes, one in 1968 and one in 1980, both in Columbia SC.

[Ripsnort]

Toad owns (or used to own) a Stearman I believe.

[Chairboy]

There's a well maintained Stearman at my airport, the owner is a member of our EAA chapter and has done presentations on some of the maintenance items of interest.  Neat planes, sad to hear about the crash.  

The plane is just a machine, there are thousands of those still flying I think, they were a really popular crop-duster platform for decades.

I wonder if they spun.  Low & slow, and the witness described what could have been a spin entry.

[Xargos]

If it was for sale, maybe someone other then it's regular pilot was flying it (Test Ride).

[Toad]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Toad owns (or used to own) a Stearman I believe.

Nope, a Fairchild PT-19.  In fact, #33 in this picture. I sold it though.






Too bad about the Stearman crash and fatalities.

[Ripsnort]

Yeah, PT-19! I'm still looking over my picture CD's from 5 years ago to see if I can find the pictures I took of my oldest son sitting in your airplane.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Yeah, PT-19! I'm still looking over my picture CD's from 5 years ago to see if I can find the pictures I took of my oldest son sitting in your airplane.

Aye, they were all taken with my old Pentax 35mm camera. I've got the pics somewhere, I'll have to scan them in.