Plane hits man jogging on beach.
A Lancair IV-P similar to the accident aircraft. (Photo by AHunt via Wikipedia)
A single-engine plane hit a jogger while performing an emergency landing in Hilton Head, South Carolina yesterday (March 15, 2010) at 6:05 PM EDT. The jogger, Robert Gary Jones, was killed, while the pilot and passenger in the Lancair IV-P (registration N9JE) were OK (at least physically).
The accident happened on the beach in the Palmetto Dunes Resort area (near Armada St.), south of Hilton Head Island Airport (HXD). According to reports, the aircraft was flying between Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) in Florida and Hampton Roads Executive Airport (PVG) in Chesapeake, Virginia when it developed problems east of the Savannah, Georgia area as it was flying at 13,000 feet. It appears the airplane began leaking oil and losing oil pressure. The pilot decided to deviate to HXD, but was unable to reach it and opted for the beach instead. Some reports say the Lancair may have also lost its propeller in flight (although it’s not clear from reports when this happened).
As the plane was coming in to land, its forward visibility was obscured by the oil on the windshield and the pilot was not able to see the jogger on the beach to try to avoid him. The jogger, on the other hand, was listening to his iPod so he was unable to hear the plane coming. Still, even without an iPod, it may have been difficult to hear an engine-out aircraft coming in to land with the sound of waves next to you. It’s just not something you’re expecting on your late afternoon jog.
The pilot has been identified as Edward I. Smith. The Lancair had departed ORL at 4:45 PM after having flown down from Virginia in the morning. This particular Lancair, which was built by Smith, has won various awards in Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) events including winning Best Workmanship at the 2009 Sun ‘N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.
As soon as more information is available I will try to clear up the propeller issue. It does not appear in accident pictures so it seems that it did in fact depart the plane, but it is difficult to say from official accounts if it came off before the oil starting leaking (possibly starting the oil leak), came off after the oil began to leak, or if it came off during the emergency landing. This is one of those accidents, in which the pilot appears to have done most things right and yet circumstances result in a death anyway; a very unfortunate accident.
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I really like you non biased accounts of these accidents. I have flown 40 years and have been the first on the seen of 10 accidents, not all of which were my own.
Thanks. I try to be non-biased, although I’ll be the first to admit that on more than a few posts I have taken a very biased approach. Usually they have to do with obviously reckless flying, though.