Amateur-built Express accident near Moncks Corner, South Carolina, November 19, 2002
On November 19, 2002 at about 9:55 pm local time, a amateur-built Express, registered N297JH, was destroyed in an accident near Moncks Corner, South Carolina (Berkeley County airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, resulting in an inadvertent stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent and in-flight collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2002 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Moncks Corner, South Carolina · Berkeley County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Express
- Registration
- N297JH · no longer on the register · serial 129
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed Charleston Airport with a private-rated pilot, two passengers, and about 50 gallons of fuel onboard a homebuilt Express airplane. The airplane was flown to Berkeley County Airport where the pilot performed about 6 to 7 touch-and-go landings on runway 05 for about half an hour. The airplane departed the traffic pattern and a witness in a boat on Lake Moultrie located north of the airport reported seeing the airplane flying from Moncks Corner towards Bonneau, and it "sounded like it was running out of gas." The airplane was then observed to pitch nose down and banked to the right completing not more than 2 rotations before impacting the water in a 90-degree nose low attitude. The total flight time was 45 minutes. Examination of the wreckage revealed all damage was impact related. The main fuel selector was found between "off" and "left," and the left secondary fuel selector was positioned to "left main." Testing revealed that fuel flow was possible through the main fuel selector, as found. Test of the engine driven magneto revealed it operated post accident; a discrepancy with the condenser was noted. Part of the electronic ignition system was tested and initially one of the two amplifiers worked post accident, but ceased operating. A bench test of the servo fuel injector indicated that at maximum metering suction (comparable to full throttle and full rich mixture), the flow was 3 pounds-per-hour (pph) below the service limits. Debris was found on the ball-valve and seat of the regulator and in the mixture control housing; the diaphragm appeared new. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of pre impact failure or malfunction. On July 12, 2002, the engine was overhauled by a certified FAA repair station due to a propeller strike, the airplane had flown about 40 hours prior to the accident. The last conditional inspection was 2.5 months before the accident. Weight and balance calculations revealed the airplane was within the center of gravity limits at the time of departure and at the time of the accident.
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: 347 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,025 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 269.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 19, 2002; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 50J Moncks Corner SC at 9:53 pm
- Destination: CHS Charleston FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KCHS, 22 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.