Banner plane pilot says engine quit moments before crash into Myrtle Beach surf, report says
The pilot of a banner plane that crashed into the surf in Myrtle Beach said that the airplane’s engine stopped working, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The plane crashed about 11:30 a.m. July 31 at 40th Avenue North, according to witness reports. Those nearby on the beach rushed into the water to help rescue the pilot. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.
The pilot stated that he was towing a banner about 500 feet above ground level parallel to the beach, when the airplane’s engine stopped producing power, the report said. He restarted the engine, but it quit once again moments later.
The pilot ditched the airplane in the ocean just offshore of the beach, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was recovered for further examination.
This was not the first time that the aircraft went down, records show. The same plane crashed in the 1990s.
The owner of the banner plane is Barnstormers Aerial Advertising.
