Tue, Mar 16, 2010
Aircraft Lost Its Propeller In Flight, Was Attempting To Land
At Hilton Head Airport
A person jogging on the beach was killed Monday evening when he
was struck by an airplane making an emergency landing at Hilton
Head Island. Neither person in the airplane was injured in the
incident.
Photos Submitted By ANN Reader Sean
Kelly
The aircraft, a Lancair IV-P, was enroute from Orlando Executive
Airport in FL (KORL) to Norfolk, VA. It was flying over the
Atlantic Ocean at about FL130 when the pilot, 62-year-old Edward
Smith of Chesapeake, VA, notified ATC he was experiencing engine
trouble. He was given vectors to Hilton Head Airport (KHXD), but
the engine developed an oil leak, which covered the windshield with
oil and severely limited visibility. The propeller subsequently
came off the airplane. The pilot determined he would be unable to
make the runway and decided to land on the beach.
Photos Submitted By ANN Reader Sean
Kelly
The Hilton Head newspaper Island Packet reports that the jogger,
identified as Robert Gary Jones of Woodstock, GA, was listening to
his iPod while running on the beach and likely did not hear the
airplane landing behind him. The pilot and his passenger said the
were unable to see Jones because of the oil covering the
windshield.
Note Restricted Visibility of
Windshield
Arrangement were made for Smith and his passenger, who has not
been identified, to stay in the area in order to speak with
investigators. The Lancair, which is registered to Smith, was
removed from the water by a crane, placed on a truck, and taken for
inspection.
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