Details emerge on final moments before fatal SC plane crash last month. Here’s what to know
A pilot who died last month when his plane crashed into Lake Hartwell made two attempts to land and was on his third when the plane went down, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board found.
Todd J. Carrell, 55, of North Port, Florida, died Sept. 10, after flying from Punta Gorda, Florida, with a destination of Anderson Regional Airport. It took five days for authorities to raise the plane with his body inside due to dense vegetation in one of the deepest parts of the lake.
Carrell was cleared to land visually, which is called RNAV, missed runway 5 and requested another approach, the NTSB said.
“The controller issued instructions to join the approach course and cleared the pilot for the approach; however, the pilot began to descend and maneuver, and was unable to join the final approach course,” the NTSB said.
When the controller asked if he needed assistance, Carrell said he did not; he needed to reset. He was told to stay at 4,000 feet at mean sea level and fly in an easterly direction, but he flew due west.
“The controller asked if he was having trouble with the autopilot or gyros, he responded that he was having trouble with his gyros,” the report says.
The controller asked if Carrell wanted an instrument landing approach and Carrell said he did.
The NTSB said flight track data showed the plane at 3,975 feet, and turned right 30 seconds later. The pilot made two right turns and descended to 1,900 feet, climbed to 2,750 feet and turned left, went down to 1,825 feet and dropped into the lake.
Wind speed was 7 knots — a light breeze — and visibility was six statute miles with light rain and broken clouds.
The NTSB said the Beech BE-55 crashed about 12:37 p.m., about 9 nautical miles south of the airport.
An examination of the wreckage found the fuselage intact but crushed on the bottom, wings pushed up, propellers attached to the engine crankshaft flanges, and minor scratches along the blade tips.
Because this was a preliminary report no fault was listed. That will come when the final report is issued in about two years, as is NTSB custom.
Carrell had lived in North Port, Florida for 15 years, according to his obituary. He earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and had been in the food service industry since 1993.
Federal Aviation Administration records show Carrell earned a pilot license in December 2017.
“Todd loved and spent every second he could flying, traveling, playing hockey, running, golfing, cooking and reading,” the obituary said.
