WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Plane crash closes parts of North Myrtle Beach; pilot OK
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By WMBF Staff | Slideshow
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A section of North Myrtle Beach was closed to the public Thursday morning after plane crashed near Ocean Boulevard.
Authorities continue to investigate the offshore plane crash, but say the pilot is OK. The banner plane, owned by Sky Signs in Conway, SC, crashed near 2301 S. Ocean Blvd. shortly after 9 a.m. The pilot was the only occupant onboard.
Witnesses to the crash immediately alerted emergency management, and some entered the water to locate the pilot.
"By the time I got to the plane, he was on the wing. We asked him if he was alright, and he said yes. We also asked him if anyone else was in the plane, and he said no," said eye witness Barry Meickles, who was first in the water after the crash. "I looked around and there was a lot of oil in the water, and I got out."
North Myrtle Beach Fire Chief Tom Barstow confirmed the pilot was not injured and refused treatment at the scene; a private car transported the pilot to an area hospital. His name is being withheld.
According to Nicole Aiello, public information officer for North Myrtle Beach, fuel may have spilled into the water on initial impact, but because banner planes carry such a small amount of fuel, officials don't see a leak as an immediate problem. Barstown commented that the fuel would evaporate quickly.
Officials have closed down two 100-yard portions of North Myrtle Beach surrounding the initial crash site as a safety precaution in case of water contamination and the threat of underlying debris. Barstow noted lifeguards will be on the lookout for any remaining debris.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Coast Guard and the FAA are currently investigating the cause of the crash, and investigations are expected to wrap up in time for the beach to reopen early Friday morning.
© 2008 Raycom Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.
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