NTSB releases preliminary report on Tabor City plane crash that killed SC couple

TABOR CITY, NC (WWAY) — Federal investigators have released new details about a deadly plane crash near Tabor City that killed a husband and wife from South Carolina earlier this month.

Philip Porter, 69, and his wife Cheryle Porter, 66, both of Spartanburg, died when their Beechcraft 58 airplane went down in a remote wooded area on June 14.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the preliminary investigation indicates the couple was en route from Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport to Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach when the weather deteriorated. The private pilot, identified as Philip Porter, was attempting an instrument landing approach when heavy rain, low visibility and wind gusts of nearly 30 miles per hour forced a diversion.

The NTSB report shows the pilot requested to divert to Florence Regional Airport. Shortly into the diversion, the aircraft entered a rapid and steady descent, eventually crashing in a pine forest. Investigators say the plane left a 468-foot wreckage path through trees standing roughly 75 feet tall.

Before the crash, controllers attempted to reestablish contact with the pilot, but communication was lost, aside from some intermittent audio that included engine noise and inaudible conversation.

There was no fire at the crash site, but investigators noted signs of fuel and extensive fragmentation of the aircraft. There were also no indications of flight control anomalies discovered during the accident site examination.

The NTSB is continuing to analyze data recovered from the aircraft, including memory cards found near the crash site. The wreckage has been retained for further examination.