NTSB study says pilot attempted to avoid adverse weather in fatal plane incident near Horry County.
A preliminary report by a federal agency regarding a tragic plane crash in Tabor City that claimed the lives of a South Carolina couple focuses extensively on the pilot's apprehensions about stormy weather as he was about to land in North Myrtle Beach. The couple, Philip Porter, 69, and Cheryle Porter, 66, were fatally injured when their Beechcraft aircraft crashed near Old Dothan Road, close to the Horry County border with North Carolina. According to FAA records, the couple departed from Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport around 11:30 a.m. and was attempting to land at Grand Strand Airport, with radar contact lost at 12:44 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board report revealed that the pilot had expressed concerns about the adverse weather conditions and requested a different heading to avoid the storm. Following instructions to descend to 4,000 feet, the pilot sought clearance to divert to Florence Regional Airport due to the deteriorating weather conditions. Unfortunately, the report noted that communication was lost, and radar contact was eventually severed during the tragic descent. The crash was preceded by heavy thunderstorms and high wind gusts in the area, with limited visibility. The impact of the crash caused substantial damage to the plane, with further investigations to be conducted based on retrieved data cards found at the site.
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