Chance Vought F4U-4 accident near Columbia, South Carolina, November 10, 2002
On November 10, 2002 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Chance Vought F4U-4, registered N713JT, was destroyed in an accident near Columbia, South Carolina (Columbia Owens Downtown airport). It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight engine fire for undetermined reasons
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2002 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Columbia, South Carolina · Columbia Owens Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Chance Vought F4U-4 · all F4U-4s on the register
- Registration
- N713JT · registry record · serial 97143
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The F4U-4 Corsair was the flight leader of 6 airplanes that were performing fly-bys on runway 13 at approximately 500 to 1000 feet above ground level (AGL). The airplane was participating in a level formation flight in preparation for the Veterans Hospital Fly-By. The Corsair had just passed the approach end of runway 13 when witnesses observed smoke trailing from the airplane. According to the air traffic controller, the airplane was last observed on base in a descent and disappeared beyond a tree line. The airplane collided with trees and caught fire about 3/4 miles from Columbia Owens Downtown Airport Columbia, South Carolina. The on site examination of the wreckage was done by the FAA. The airplane was damaged by fire and impact forces. The engine was examinined May 19, 2003 at Atlanta Air Recovery in Griffin, Georgia. Examination found the engine's accessory section consumed by fire from the super-charger aft, including the firewall, cockpit and part of the cabin.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R2800-52W (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CUB Columbia SC at 6:25 pm
- Destination: CUB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,999 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:14 pm from CAE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N713JT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL03LA016.