By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A Beaufort woman was seriously injured after her plane crashed in Colleton County just after taking off from the Beaufort Executive Airport on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
A knowledgeable source confirmed the plane was being piloted by the plane’s owner. Per the Federal Aviation Association’s website, the plane is registered to Theresa McDonald of Beaufort.
The plane crashed into a pond on private property in the 5000 block of Wiggins Road just after 11:30 a.m. The pilot, according to the FAA report, reported experiencing engine issues and was attempting to turn back toward Beaufort when she crashed.
According to a release from Colleton County Fire-Rescue (CCFR), the property owner told investigators that he was in his yard when he heard the plane hit several trees as it nose-dived into a small pond in his yard. He said that the engine was no longer running when the plane struck the tree.
Following the crash, he ran to help the woman, who was the sole occupant of the plane. The pilot was unconscious and suffered multiple injuries.
The pilot was in critical condition when paramedics arrived, and with help from bystanders, she was removed from the plane, transported to a CARE Flight medical helicopter nearby, where paramedics administered whole blood and airway management before flying her from the scene to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where she remains hospitalized as of Tuesday, Jan. 9.
The location of the crash is a rural area approximately five miles south of ACE Basin Parkway (U.S. Hwy. 17), 12 miles south of the Green Pond Community.
The plane was on the edge of the pond, and one wing was ripped off the fuselage, spilling a large amount of fuel into the water and around the scene.
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the scene, and CCFR was on the scene for four hours, according to the release.
Delayna Earley formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
