Tabor City, N.C. — Two people are dead following a Spartanburg plane crash on Saturday, June 14, after a small aircraft went down just across the North Carolina state line, according to officials.
The twin-engine Beechcraft plane, registered under Majesty Air, Inc., took off from Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport at around 11:30 a.m. en route to Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach. The aircraft was last seen on radar at 12:44 p.m., according to FAA data.
Emergency crews were dispatched to an area near Old Dothan Road in Tabor City after reports of a possible crash. Tabor City Fire Chief Jeff Fowler confirmed it took nearly two hours and the help of a helicopter to locate the wreckage. The victims have not yet been publicly identified.
Flight data indicates the plane climbed to about 6,850 feet before diverting from its route. The aircraft circled away from Myrtle Beach and into the Tabor City area before disappearing from radar. Investigators believe the pilot changed course due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Veteran commercial pilot Robert Katz, who reviewed the flight path, said the crash could have been prevented. “The pilot was warned of severe weather near Myrtle Beach but proceeded. Attempting to escape the storm, he flew northwest into even worse conditions,” Katz explained.
The Spartanburg plane crash is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Officials have confirmed that drugs or foul play are not suspected at this time, and the focus remains on weather-related factors and decision-making.
The aircraft, built in 1972, had previously flown the same route between Spartanburg and Grand Strand Airport, most recently on June 2. The crash is raising questions about flight planning and weather risk awareness among private pilots.
As the investigation continues, aviation experts are urging increased caution during the summer storm season, particularly for small aircraft navigating across state lines and near coastal regions.