Warbird Information Exchange

Saw this on another board.

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

MOUNT PLEASANT — MOUNT PLEASANT — Andrew Beck watched as the World War II airplane came into view. His stomach churned as the old blue-and-yellow Navy trainer plane flipped upside down about 30 feet above the water.

'It was a sickening sound going into the water — a sickening thud, crunch,' he said.

Beck was enjoying a backyard chat with a friend just before 7 p.m. when the Stearman biplane crashed into Crab Bank about 150 yards from shore in Charleston Harbor, killing both the pilot and passenger.

'I watched him bank right and descend towards the surface of the water. Then the plane pulled up and rolled all the way over and went in,' Beck said. 'The engine was running full the whole time.'

Boaters in the area just off Pitt Street near McCants Drive rushed to the plane and recovered one person, said Peter Rogers, spokesman for the Charleston County Volunteer Rescue Squad. Late Wednesday, a second person was still inside the plane, which was partially submerged in the water, he said.

The crash site was about two miles southeast of Patriots Point, where a black-tie gala honoring Congressional Medal of Honor recipients was taking place, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities did not release the names of the plane's occupants. The aircraft has a tail number of N55718 and is registered to CCR Air Parts and Services of Mount Pleasant, said Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration's southern region. She said the vintage airplane was made in 1942 and has an open cockpit with two seats. The plane also was listed for sale on the web site atiger.net.

'The easiest way to think of this plane is Red Baron,' Rogers said.

Beck had seen the plane traveling the same route many times.

'It had a very distinctive sound, because it has a radial engine,' Beck said.

The plane left Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island at 6:30 p.m. for a leisurely ride, said Anthony Abbatiello, manager of Mercury Air Center, which manages the executive airport. He said he had ridden with the pilot many times.

'He was one of the most experienced, knowledgeable aviators I've ever met in my life,' Abbatiello said. 'I'd jump in again in a heartbeat.'

Reach Nadine Parks
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The 11:00 PM news indicated that both souls on board were deceased.

The plane did sightseeing flights around the Charleston area.


http://www.atiger.net/index.html


Walt

This is very sad news. I'm interested to learn the cause factors for the accident. It sounds very strange. This must be very difficult for the families.

-David

oh man, that's rough. my regards to the affected loved 1's

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!