One killed when plane going to Columbia airport crashes in Orangeburg, officials say
One person was killed when a plane headed for Columbia crashed in a field in Orangeburg County on Saturday morning, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a single-engine Beech Bonanza BE-35 crashed in a field about 6 miles from the Orangeburg Municipal Airport around 10:20 a.m. on Saturday. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopters found the wreckage at 1:50 p.m. in the field behind the 5200 block of Columbia Road, Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall said.
The pilot was the only person on board the plane, according to the FAA.
The coroner’s office has not publicly identified the pilot, and Marshall said any identification will come after an autopsy is performed on Tuesday.
The aircraft took off from Lowcountry Regional Airport in Walterboro, South Carolina and was headed to Jim Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport, according to the FAA. The plane was not going to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, said airport spokesperson Kim Crafton.
There was no word about what caused the plane to crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was destroyed by post-accident fire, the Orangeburg Times and Democrat reported.
Both the FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, but the NTSB will be in charge and will provide any updates.
Marshall said the Orangeburg County Coroner’s Office will meet with the NTSB Sunday.
The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department said it is assisting in the investigation.
This story was originally published June 10, 2023 at 2:48 PM.
