Amateur-built GLASAIR SH2 accident near Holly Hill, South Carolina, September 10, 1998
On September 10, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR SH2, registered N51AJ, was destroyed in an accident near Holly Hill, South Carolina (Holly Hill airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, and his failure to perform a go-around. The pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance during the landing is a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Holly Hill, South Carolina · Holly Hill · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR SH2 GLASAIR SH
- Registration
- N51AJ · registry record · serial 391
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had landed, and elected to abort and go around. According to witnesses, the airplane had landed long and could not make a complete stop on the available runway. The aircraft bounced three times and on the third bounce the pilot lowered the tail wheel, and the main landing gear came off the ground., The pilot attempted a go around and powered up with 300 feet of runway remaining. He attempted to clear trees at the end of the runway by pulling the nose up abruptly, then pushing the nose over after clearing the trees. At this point the engine quit momentarily. The airplane impacted the ground on fairway No. 3 at a golf course, and came to rest at the base of a pine tree. Examination of the wreckage revealed that no obvious discrepancies were found in the fuel system or the engine. Fuel was found, and examination of the carburetor and fuel pump did not show any discrepancies. The FAA inspector stated, '...the pilot was released from the hospital on September 20, 1998. All attempts to talk to [him] have failed...it appears after checking with Airman and Aircraft records [the pilot] was operating his aircraft with a non-current registration and with a denied medical.' The pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and his account of the accident are not known.
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 sea
- Flight time: 1,976 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,900 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from CHS, 15 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.