Piper PA-38-112 accident near Timmonsville, South Carolina, March 27, 1989
On March 27, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N9451T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Timmonsville, South Carolina (Huggins Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMAIN AWARE OF THE LOCAL WIND CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, HE EXECUTED THE APPROACH AND LANDING WITH EXCESSIVE SPEED, COMBINED WITH A TAILWIND, WHICH RESULTED IN THE RUNWAY OVERRUN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Timmonsville, South Carolina · Huggins Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N9451T · registry record · serial 38-78A0104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS MAKING TOUCH & GO LANDINGS AT A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE LANDINGS WERE TO RWYS 14 & 32. ON THE 1ST APPROACH THE WIND SOCK INDICATED CALM WIND. THE LAST APPROACH WAS MADE WITH ZERO FLAPS. THE PLT SLIPPED THE ACFT ON FINAL APPROACH & CROSSED RWY THRESHOLD AT 90 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT A 10 KNOT WIND WAS BLOWING (TAILWIND) WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TO 3/4 OF THE DISTANCE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT AND IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A WOODEN SIGN POST.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 405 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 383 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 1988; 137 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLO Florence SC at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 ATL89LA117.