Thursday, November 2, 2017

Pilot George Howard Chartress III, 62, killed after a 1966 Beechcraft 35-C33 Debonair plane crashed as it lost power while approaching The Columbus County Municipal Airport in NC to refuel









COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) -



A Connecticut man, George Howard Chartress III, 62, was killed after his plane crashed outside of Whiteville Tuesday morning.

FAA officials said a Beechcraft BE-35 crashed in a wooded area short of runway 24 at the Columbus County Municipal Airport around 10:30 a.m.

Highway Patrol officials said the pilot, George Howard Chartress III, 62, took off from Lake City, Florida, at 7:40 a.m. and was headed to Rhode Island.

Chartress was approaching the Columbus County Municipal Airport to refuel when the plane lost power about 400 yards south of the runway and crashed.

Richard Shawn, 58, of Rhode Island, was a passenger in the plane and suffered minor injuries.

Airport Director Phill Edwards said that he cleared the plane to land, but didn't hear any distress calls. When the plane didn't arrive, he called Chartress, but didn't get a response.

He said that while the plane did crash near the airport, he wasn't able to see it due to the tree line.

Emergency Services Director Kay Worley said that fire crews responded quickly to the scene, but had difficulty locating the plane initially, which was around 50 yards in the woods.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.



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Updated 2:20 p.m.



A Rhode Island man died at the controls of his airplane this morning near Columbus Regional Airport.

The N.C. Highway Patrol said George Howard Charteress III, flying a single-engine Beechcraft, left a Florida airport shortly before 8 a.m. heading for Rhode Island with one passenger, Richard Shawn.

Officials said Charteress was heading in to land when the plane lost power and crashed 400 yards short of the runway, about 20 yards short of a field near the end of the runway.

Shawn, 58, also of Rhode Island, suffered minor injuries. He called 911 after the plane crashed, and rescuers used his GPS coordinates to find the crash site, which was not visible from the airport or nearby Pleasant Plains Church Road. Shawn was outside the aircraft when the first rescuers arrived, and walked out of the thickly vegetated area to board an ambulance.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.

The Columbus airport is a popular stop for many private pilots due to lower fuel prices here than at many larger airfields.

Brunswick Fire, Whiteville Rescue, Whiteville Heavy Rescue, the Highway Patrol and the sheriff’s office responded to the crash.

11:30 a.m. report

The pilot of a small single engine airplane died in a crash just west of the runway at Columbus County Airport at about 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. A passenger in the plane survived and was able to walk out of the wooded area where the plane crashed. He was taken to Columbus Regional Healthcare for minor injuries by Whiteville Rescue.

Sammy Jacobs, a salvage yard operator, heard the radio call and offered to guide several of his workers to the scene. The workers were volunteers of Brunswick Fire Department. Jacobs heard the passenger of the plane calling for help and made his way through a densely wooded area to the scene. He returned to Pleasant Plains Church Road and flagged down first responders.
The pilot is from out of state. He will be identified pending notification of kin.













Date:31-OCT-2017
Time:ca 09:00 a.m
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE33 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Beechcraft 35-C33 Debonair
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N293GC
C/n / msn: CD-1035
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Category:Accident
Location:near Whiteville-Columbus County Municipal Airport, NC (KCPC) -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Lake City-Cannon Creek Airpark, FL (15FL)
Destination airport:Whiteville-Columbus County Municipal Airport, NC (KCPC)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Narrative:
The plane reportedly lost power while approaching The Columbus County Municipal Airport to refuel. The aircraft sustained substantial damage upon impact with timbered terrain. The pilot died in the crash, the passenger survived with minor injuries.
Sources:

http://www.wect.com/story/36726833/pilot-killed-in-columbus-county-plane-crash
https://nrcolumbus.com/news/pilot-dies-tuesday-morning-plane-crash-near-airport/
https://www.wwaytv3.com/2017/10/31/plane-crashes-outside-of-whiteville/
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=293GC

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N293GC/history/20171031/1151Z/tracklog



N293GC - 1966 BEECH 35-C33

Aircraft Information

Manufacturer BEECH
Model 35-C33
Year Built 1966
Manufacturer's Serial Number CD-1035
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Category Land
Builder Certification Type Certificated
Number of Seats 4 seats
Weight Class CLASS 1 (Up to 12,499 pounds gross take off weight)
Engine Manufacturer CONT MOTOR
Engine Model I0-470 SERIES
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Horsepower 260 hp (194 kW)
Average Cruising Speed 138 miles per hour

Registration Information

Type of Registrant Individual
Owner Name CHARTRESS GEORGE H
Street 12 MAPLE CT
City WATERFORD
State CT
Zip Code 06385-4326
Region New England
County New London County
Country US
Fractional Ownership No
Airworthiness Date 1966-06-01
Certificate Issue Date 2016-01-21
Last Action Date 2017-02-13
Expiration Date 2019-01-31
Status Valid Registration
Mode S Code 50600470
Mode S Code Hex A30138