North American T-28B accident near Spartanburg, South Carolina, May 22, 1998
On May 22, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a North American T-28B, registered N944RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spartanburg, South Carolina (Spartanburg Downtown Mem airport). It was a positioning 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 misjudgment of speed and distance, and his delay in the use of brakes. Contributing to the accident was a thunderstorm, a wet runway, the pilot's self-induced pressure, and his inadequate inflight planning/decision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Spartanburg, South Carolina · Spartanburg Downtown Mem · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American T-28B · all T-28Bs on the register
- Registration
- N944RJ · no longer on the register · serial 138130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was contracted to transport tissue from Spartanburg, to Charleston, South Carolina. Before departure on the positioning flight, he was advised by Flight Service Station of a severe thunderstorm watch covering South Carolina; and a thunderstorm was east of Greer, moving east and deteriorating. While taxiing to takeoff, he was advised the thunderstorm appeared to be over the destination airport and Greer Approach Control advised him that the thunderstorm was over the destination airport. The flight continued and during the approach, rain increased in intensity as reported by the pilot and a line service employee on the airport. The pilot stated that he landed about one-quarter of the way down the 5,203-foot-long runway but did not apply the brakes until the 1/2 way point. The airplane rolled off the departure end of the runway, down an embankment, and came to rest against a guardrail. Postcrash examination of the brakes revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot was the sole pilot of an on-demand air taxi operation.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 139 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 9,500 as pilot in command; 125 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,059 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 21, 1997; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Curtis Wright R1820-86B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 1:45 am
- Destination: SPA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,203 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from GSP, 13 miles away
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.
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.