Beech 23 accident near Loris, South Carolina, February 2, 1984
On February 2, 1984 at about 2:36 am local time, a Beech 23, registered N6141N, was destroyed in an accident near Loris, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were 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
- February 2, 1984 · about 2:36 am local time
- Place
- Loris, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N6141N · no longer on the register · serial M-1224
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ESTIMATED TIME OF TAKEOFF WAS ABOUT 1930 EST. THE ROUTE OF FLT BEFORE 2000 EST WAS NOT KNOWN. AT APRX 2005, THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT WAS IDENTIFIED OVER A MILITARY FIRING RANGE. THE PLT WAS VECTORED FROM THE RANGE TOWARD OCEAN ISLE, NC. AT 2052, THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE TO MYRTLE BEACH APCH CONTROL FREQ, BUT HE DID NOT CONTACT APCH CONTROL. SUBSEQUENTLY, A FEMALE PASSENGER RADIOED THAT THE PLT WAS UNCONSCIOUS & THAT THEY WERE LOST. ATC & THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT TRIED TO ASSIST, BUT THE PASSENGER WAS EXTREMELY EXCITED & COMMUNICATION WITH HER WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT THOUGHT HE HEARD A MALE VOICE IN THE BACKGROUND STATE 'GIVE ME SOME AIR.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED (AT NIGHT) WHILE IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN. SLIGHTLY INVERTED, R WING LOW ATTITUDE. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS SHOWED THAT THE PLT & 3 PASSENGERS HAD THE FOLLOWING CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS: 24%, 22%, 35% & 44%. THE EXACT POSITION OF A CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK WAS NOT FOUND.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 133 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,470 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 1983; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HVS Hartsville SC
- Destination: 60J Ocean Isle NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from MYR, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.