Businessman and glamorous wife die after boarding private plane during storm forecast
Engineering executive Phil Porter, 69, and his wife Cheryle, 66, tragically lost their lives on Saturday when the jet he was piloting crashed near Dothan, North Carolina, near Myrtle Beach.
According to the Gaffney Ledger, Porter had years of experience as a pilot before the deadly crash.
The couple took off from Spartanburg and were reportedly set to land at Grand Strand Airport in South Carolina but were diverted due to heavy storms, and crashed as they made their descent.
Their twin-engine Beechcraft plane was traveling at around 250mph when it fell from the skies.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, and authorities said they have launched an investigation into the deadly incident.
Porter owned Porter's Electric Motor Service which he inherited from his father, and his wife worked as a sales representative at the family firm.
The husband and wife both died in the crash, with no other injuries or deaths on the ground reported after their jet landed in a wooded area.
On his company's profile, Porter's Electric Motor Service is described as a mechanical maintenance and repair firm in the Gaffney, South Carolina area.
According to FAA data cited by WBTW, Porter has been certified to fly since 2013.
Although the cause of the crash is unclear, air traffic control chatter first obtained by News13 shed some light on the final moments of the couple's final flight.
Porter could reportedly be heard telling operators: 'I got some smoke in the trees at my nine 'o clock. I'm on a zero-four-zero heading. I saw him on my (database).'
Robert Katz, a commercial pilot with more than 43 years of experience, told the outlet that he believes a combination of heavy weather and pilot error may have contributed to the crash.
'It appears that his flight from Spartanburg was pretty much routine for the most part until he gets into the Myrtle Beach area where is warned about heavy weather. He's not unaware of it,' he said.
'He attempts to approach Grand Strand at exactly the wrong time, when severe weather is in the vicinity.'
Flight data showed Porter's plane, which had last flown less than two weeks before the crash, circled away from Grand Strand airport before the crash.
'He is, in effect, scared off, and then attempts to escape the area to the northwest only to find himself in thicker weather at that point, which overtakes him,' Katz said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
At least 1 dead & 2 missing after plane crashes into sea off California sparking major operation as debris washes ashore
A MAJOR search and rescue mission is underway after a plane crashed into the sea off the coast of California leaving at least one dead and two missing. Authorities have confirmed that a private plane plummeted into the water in Pacific Grove at around 10:40 pm on Saturday night. 4 4 4 The Beech 95-B55 was en route to Monterey Regional Airport from San Carlos Airport where it had departed around 10:07 pm, according to Flight Radar. It is believed to have ran into trouble shortly after take off with data from the Aviation Safety Network showing that it "crashed into the sea during a night-time approach to Monterey Airport." "On approach the aircraft entered a descending left-hand turn. During the turn the aircraft climbed again before entering a high-speed descent until it crashed into the sea about 22:38 hours," per the aviation outlet. Now, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Pacific Grove Police, the Coast Guard, and CAL Fire are engaged in the search for those who were onboard the two-engine aircraft. The Coast Guard has said that three people were on board the plane, per KSBW Action News. In an update, a reporter from KION News who is at the scene, said that the body of one person has been recovered as divers continue to search the area. "This is now a recovery mission," he told viewers as divers could be seen in the water. Responders received a lost radar alert as well a flurry of 911 calls from horrified locals who said they heard an engine revving or a loud noise before a huge splash in the ocean near Asilomar. On Facebook, one local said: "I'm dog sitting for my daughter in Pacific Grove. I'm laying in bed around 10PM and I hear a low flying airplane overhead. "I'm wondering to myself 'it sounds like it might hit her house'. Then I hear a sudden splat and it goes silent." Moment 150 terrified passengers flee plane engulfed in smoke after landing gear issue sparked fire and injured one Another told KION News that a loud noise woke him up and it "sounded like a plane doing stunts over my roof - I thought I was dreaming". Emergency officials believe the aircraft plummeted into the sea between 200 meters and a quarter of a mile off the coastline. As the recovery operation continues, debris from the horror crash has started washing ashore including luggage, seat cushions, and parts of the aircraft, a CAL FIRE spokesperson told the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said that numerous lifeboats and a helicopter were deployed minutes after reports of the crash came in. It is not yet known what caused the crash but the National Transportation Safety Board will start to assess the debris for possible answers. The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Pacific Grove Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff's Office for an update. The identities of those on board have not been released. Locals have shared on Facebook how the news reminded them of the plane crash that killed folk and country star John Denver. Denver died on October 12, 1997, at the age of 53 when his plane crashed into Monterey Bay.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Three people missing after private plane crashes in California
Frantic search efforts are underway after a private plane crash in California has left all three passengers missing in the ocean. The Beech 95-B55 Baron plummeted into the ocean in Pacific Grove around 10:40pm on Saturday, according to emergency officials. Flight N8796R had departed from San Carlos Airport at 10:07pm and was headed for Monterey Regional Airport, according to Flight Radar. The two-engine aircraft apparently ran into trouble shortly after take off, as first responders were contacted almost immediately after receiving a lost radar alert, KSBW reported. Horrified residents of the quiet coastal neighborhood also made several 911 calls after hearing the plane's engine revving and a massive splash in the water. Cal Fire has estimated the plane is likely 200 meters to a quarter mile off the ocean's shore. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Pacific Grove Police, the Coast Guard and CAL Fire are all involved in the multi-agency search. While the victims have not yet been found, debris from the horror crash has washed up on rocks in the ocean. Footage from Saturday night shows flares shooting into the air from the plane to aid search crews.
BreakingNews.ie
7 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Mother of Air India crash victim ‘heartbroken' after remains wrongly identified
The mother of a British Air India crash victim has said her family is 'heartbroken' after receiving news the remains of her son were wrongly identified, The Sunday Times reported. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12th, killing 241 people on board. Advertisement Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities. Among the British victims were Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek (39) and his husband Jamie (45), who had been returning to Britain after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India. Mr Greenlaw-Meek's mother, Amanda Donaghey, told The Sunday Times she flew to India after the crash in order to find her son's remains, providing a DNA sample at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital to assist the identification process. Following a match on June 20th, she returned to the UK with Mr Greenlaw-Meek's coffin. Advertisement But on July 5th, as Mr Greenlaw-Meek and his husband's families prepared to bury the married couple together, police told Ms Donaghey that DNA tests carried out in the UK showed Mr Greenlaw-Meek's remains were not in the coffin. 'We don't know what poor person is in that casket,' she told The Sunday Times. 'I had my doubts but to be told that was heartbreaking. 'This is an appalling thing to have happened,' she added. Advertisement 'And we would now like the British Gvernment to do everything in its power to find out, and bring Fiongal home.' It was revealed last week the coffin of another repatriated British victim, 71-year-old Shobhana Patel, contained remains of multiple people, The Sunday Times reported. Mrs Patel was killed alongside her husband Ashok (74) as they returned to the UK from a Hindu religious trip. Their son Miten Patel told The Sunday Times: 'There may have been a mistake done. Advertisement 'But for religious reasons we need to make sure my mother is my mother and not somebody else's remains. 'Knowing 100% that it is my mum is very important to us.' Shobhana and Ashok Patel were laid to rest last week, The Sunday Times said. Prime minister of India Narendra Modi (left) with British prime minister Keir Starmer. Photo: Kin Cheung/PA International aviation lawyer James Healey-Pratt, whose firm Keystone Law is representing families of victims of the Air India crash, has told Times Radio the identification issues have raised concerns over the total number of victims whose identities may have been misattributed. Advertisement 'We know that 12 caskets were repatriated from India to the UK,' he said. 'Of those 12, two had been mishandled, misidentified. 'And so if you extrapolate that sample, you're looking at 40 mishandled remains out of 240. 'So that's a very large number, but we simply don't know. 'And to date, the Indian authorities have not been transparent or helpful about that, which is why there was pressure put on by the families to the FCO and the Prime Minister's office. 'And this was actually mentioned in the meeting at Chequers between Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Modi on Thursday. 'So the families are waiting to hear, first thing next week, about what actions are really being done in India to provide some degree of assurance.' It is understood no blame is being put on any UK agency for the blunders, Mr Healy-Pratt previously told the PA news agency. The only surviving passenger on the plane was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who previously told The Sun it was a 'miracle' he was alive but felt 'terrible' he could not save his brother Ajay. A preliminary report into the incident from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found both of the plane's fuel switches moved to the 'cut-off' position 'immediately' after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine. It has sparked questions over whether the crash was deliberate.
