North Myrtle Beach plane crash kills pilot, FAA releases new details

The small airplane that went down over the weekend in North Myrtle Beach had been in the process of returning a banner, according to the Federal Aviation Agency.

The Piper PA-12 crashed Saturday at Grand Strand Regional Airport after 2 p.m.

The “aircraft returned to drop off banner and climbed out, then nosed backwards into the ground,” according to the description of the wreck on the website.

The owner of the aircraft is listed as Barnstormers Ariel Advertising, LLC, according to FAA records.

The pilot, 56-year-old David Flading, died as a result of the crash, Horry County Deputy Coroner Michelle McSpadden said. He was the only person on board.

Flading is from Pennsylvania, but he was a longtime Myrtle Beach-area resident, she added.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident along with FAA.

The city’s fire department and police department responded to the crash, as well as Horry County Fire and Rescue.

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 1:41 PM.