Piper PA-28-151 accident near Bennettsville, South Carolina, September 20, 1997
On September 20, 1997 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N9643K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bennettsville, South Carolina (Stanton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to properly plan his approach, and his failure to attain a proper touchdown point for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1997 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bennettsville, South Carolina · Stanton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N9643K · no longer on the register · serial 76-15222
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a Piper PA-28-151 made an approach to land at a private airport. According to him, the airplane touched down after 'quite a bit of float.' The pilot stated he saw another airplane parked on the runway a short distance ahead, then he applied left rudder to avoid the parked airplane. As he passed the other airplane, the left wing tip of his airplane struck a hand rail, then the airplane turned left into a gulch and nosed over. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot did not properly plan his approach to landing at the airport. The PA-28-151 Owner's Manual showed that the airplane's required landing distance was approximately 1,100 feet. The runway was 2,300 feet in length. According to the pilot, the other airplane was parked about 550 feet from the departure end of the runway.
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: 329 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 149 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,805 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1997; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E30 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8A6 Charlotte NC at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 2,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from FLO, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.