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: |  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) |
| Whiteville-Columbus County Municipal Airport, NC (KCPC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
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 |