Piper PA-23-250 accident near Cordesville, South Carolina, October 13, 2003
On October 13, 2003 at about 11:57 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N63942, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cordesville, South Carolina (Charleston International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent into trees and the ground. A factor was physical impairment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2003 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- Cordesville, South Carolina · Charleston International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N63942 · no longer on the register · serial 27-7854075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet, the pilot acknowledged, and no further radio communication was received from the pilot. Radar data showed the last recorded position for the flight was approximately 20 miles northeast of the airport at 2,900 feet, then the target disappeared from radar. Two witnesses approximately two nautical miles east of the accident site reported hearing what sounded like "back fire," "fireworks," and "crackling." One witness reported he saw the airplane flying west over the treeline, then he heard the sound of an impact. The wreckage was found in a heavily wooded area amid charred trees and burned pine straw, the engines were embedded approximately five feet in the ground, and the chordline of the wings was approximately perpendicular to the ground. Examination of the airframe and engines revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction was observed. The toxicology report for the pilot stated "bupropion, bupropion metabolite, sertraline, and desmethylsertraline were detected in the liver, and bupropion metabolite and sertraline were detected in the kidney." A review of medical records maintained by the pilot's physician revealed the pilot had been prescribed drugs containing bupropion (Wellbutrin) and sertraline (Zoloft) to treat symptoms of depression. A physician's note dated July 14, 2003, stated, "Doing very well on Zoloft ... and Wellbutrin ... . Depression - stable." The records also revealed the pilot had a history of atrial fibrillation and was prescribed the drug sotalol. The pilot reported none of his medical diagnoses or medications on any applications for FAA Airman Medical Certificate.
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: 5,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,760.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gordon Larimore Gray III (President Air Mango Ltd)
The flight
- Departed from: KHTO East Hampton NY at 7:49 pm
- Destination: KCHS Charleston SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from KCHS, 19 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.