Beech 300 accident near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, January 14, 2021
On January 14, 2021 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2016 Beech 300, registered N862UP, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An encounter with severe turbulence, which resulted in serious injury to an unseated passenger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2021 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 300, built 2016 · all 300s on the register
- Registration
- N862UP · no longer on the register · serial FL-1061
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, the airplane was cruising at flight level 250, about 1 hour and 40 minutes into the flight, when it encountered 30 to 45 seconds of severe turbulence. One of the three passengers was not seated and sustained serious injuries. The injured passenger reported that she struck her head on the overhead ceiling compartment, then fell onto the armrest. Another passenger assisted her to her seat, but the injured passenger had difficulty fastening her seatbelt. According to the operator, the crew reported the turbulence to air traffic control, advised the controller of the injury, and continued to the destination airport at the request of the passengers. At the destination airport, the passenger was met by emergency medical services personnel and declined additional medical treatment. The passenger reported that she sought medical treatment the following week and had a fractured rib. The pilot recorded the passenger’s seatbelt in the aircraft maintenance logbook. Mechanics performed a functional check of the seatbelt and found it to be operational, and the airplane was returned to service.
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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,685 hours in all; 1,650 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,809 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 4,046 as pilot in command; 489 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 9, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,155 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 18, 2020; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,100 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (turboprop); 3,242 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6Aa-60A (turboprop); 3,242 hours total
- Operator: Gama Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL
- Destination: OPF Norfolk VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from SUT, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSUT 140215Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC028 09/06 A3000 RMK AO2 T00900055
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA21LA115.