Piper PA-28-181 accident near N Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, September 7, 2007
On September 7, 2007 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N3063Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near N Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Grand Strand airport). It was a personal 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 failure to maintain aircraft control during a go-around, which resulted in a collision with water. A factor in this accident was the crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2007 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- N Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Grand Strand · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N3063Y · registry record · serial 28-7990390
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Piper PA-28-181 was on final approach to land on runway 5, a 5,996-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway, when the airplane encountered a gust of wind. The pilot attempted a go-around; however, the airplane subsequently impacted water on the left side of the runway, and came to rest inverted. The airplane's left wing spar was fractured. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, were from 130 degrees, at 9 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
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: 1,160 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,728 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,580 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SSI Brunswick GA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CRE N Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 5, 5,996 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from CRE
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.