‘Mayday, mayday, mayday:’ pilot radioed before SC crash, NTSB prelim report says
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- NTSB prelim: engine loss and mayday after departing Columbia
- Pilot tried to land at White Plains; struck 65‑ft pines 1,000 ft from runway
- Cirrus SR22 parachute not deployed; passenger Andrew Frederick Nichols died
A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board uncovers more details about what led up to a small plane crash in Lexington earlier this month.
The unidentified pilot of a Cirrus SR22, while carrying one passenger, crashed 1,000 feet short of a runway at White Plains Airport after reporting engine failure once 8,000 feet in the air, according to a preliminary report by the NTSB.
The deceased passenger was identified as Andrew Frederick Nichols, 30, who was the CEO of a Huntsville energy company.
Shortly after departing Columbia’s Metropolitan Airport around 8 a.m. Feb. 6, the pilot took to the radio, “mayday, mayday, mayday, we just lost our engine,” just 13 miles from CAE, according to the report.
Mindful of an airport beneath them, the pilot advised air traffic controllers they would attempt to land at White Plains — a private airport community with a 3,000-ft-long paved runway. The airport was a mile and half south of the plane’s position at the time, according to the report.
As the plane flew past White Plains, the pilot made a left turn toward the south while the airplane was descending through 6,400 ft. It remained on track for about two miles before making a right turn toward the northeast, followed by a left turn to the south before positioning for runway 27 at 1,600 ft, the report said.
Home security cameras in the area captured the plane as it maneuvered toward White Plains, and audio associated with footage was consistent with the propeller windmilling without engine power, according to the report.
While heading toward runway 27, the plane collided with the top of 65-ft-tall pine trees about 1,000 ft from the runway, causing the plane to roll over before it came to rest on a gravel road against trees, the report said.
The cockpit was crushed about midway from its original position and the plane’s instrument panel was squashed down into the seats, according to the report. The plane’s wing tips were separated after smacking trees and were discovered at the start of the wreckage path.
Although the plane was equipped with an emergency parachute system, it was not deployed, the report said.
The aircraft, operated by Learjetjohn Flying Club LLC, was headed to Decatur, Ala.
