Beech 60 accident near Pageland, South Carolina, August 16, 1988
On August 16, 1988 at about 11:35 am local time, a Beech 60, registered N21TP, was destroyed in an accident near Pageland, South Carolina (Pageland airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 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
- August 16, 1988 · about 11:35 am local time
- Place
- Pageland, South Carolina · Pageland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 60 · all 60s on the register
- Registration
- N21TP · no longer on the register · serial P-114
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO APPROACH THE AIRPORT FROM THE NORTHWEST. AS IT CROSSED THE NORTHEAST END OF THE RUNWAY, IT INITIATED A RIGHT TURN TO CROSS THE RUNWAY ABOUT THE MIDPOINT TO A POSITION FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 5. ITS ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 200-300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN. THE WITNESS DID NOT OBSERVE THE AIRPLANE FURTHER. IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 0.4 MILES FROM THE THRESHOLD. THE MORNING SUN WAS ABOUT 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON AND WAS ABOUT 33 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PILOT'S FACE DURING HIS FLIGHT FROM THE LAST DEPARTURE POINT. THE LANDING RUNWAY SLOPED UPWARD FROM THE LANDING THRESHOLD. THE LOWER-THAN-NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE SUN'S POSITION IN RELATION TO THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT PATH, AND THE RUNWAY SLOPE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PILOT TO PERCIEVE HIS ALTITUDE AS BEING HIGHER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS.
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: 1,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,833 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1987; 132 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1AC4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Rock Hill SC at 11:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from CLT, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.