Beech 77 accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina, June 24, 2001
On June 24, 2001 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N3818D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina (Country Squire 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
The poor weather evaluation by the pilot for landing with a tailwind and failure of the pilot to perform a go-around after the first bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2001 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Hill, South Carolina · Country Squire Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N3818D · no longer on the register · serial WA-221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport for his first flight into the grass airstrip. The windsock indicated that the wind was variable at 6-7 knots from the north. He elected to land to the west and maintained 60 knots on final approach with the flaps fully extended. The flight touched down about 1/3 the way down the 2,700-foot-long runway but became airborne. The airplane then touched down again and he applied the brakes which he felt was having no effect on stopping the airplane. He stated, "I felt as though I was being pushed down the runway by a tailwind." The airplane veered to the left which he corrected back to centerline but was unable to stop the airplane before it rolled into a 3-foot ditch located at the departure end of the runway. He reported that he didn't think there was a brake malfunction. A METAR weather observation taken at the departure airport about 9 minutes after the accident indicates in part that the wind was from 070 degrees at 9 knots. The accident airstrip is located approximately 5 nautical miles south-southwest of the departure airport.
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: 77 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 44 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 8, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UZA Rock Hill SC at 3:40 pm
- Destination: SC67 Rock Hill SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from UZA, 5 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.