Smith MINIPLANE accident near Swansea, South Carolina, August 19, 1982
On August 19, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Smith MINIPLANE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1CJ, was destroyed in an accident near Swansea, South Carolina. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Swansea, South Carolina
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith MINIPLANE, amateur-built · all MINIPLANEs on the register
- Registration
- N1CJ · registry record · serial LN-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT TO PRACTICE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS. HE HELD A CURRENT CERTIFICATE OF WAIVER WHICH AUTHORIZED HIM TO PRACTICE LOW LEVEL AEROBATICS BELOW 1500 FT ABOVE THE SURFACE. FOUR KNOWN WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT PULL UP FROM A LOW ALTITUDE, THEN FALL AND SPIN TO THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS, A PRIVATE PILOT, ROPORTED THAT THE PILOT PULLED THE PLANE UP, AS IF HE WAS PERFORMING A LOOP. AT THE TOP OF THE CLIMB, THE NOSE CAME DOWN, AND REPORTEDLY, THE PLANE BEGAN TO SPIN INVERTED. DURING AN INVESTIGATION, NO EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME WAS FOUND EXCEPT FOR IMPACT DAMAGE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 538 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-G4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SC13 Darden Airport SC at 5:45 pm
- Destination: SC13 Darden Airport SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 187°F (86°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.