Graham Borland, 33, pilot in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina plane crash that killed him and Matthew Gaither, 20, was not a certified flight instructor

Modified Date: 
Thu, 01/29/2015 - 6:49am
Accident Date: 
Thursday, August 14, 2014

NTSB: Pilot in fatal Mt. Pleasant plane crash was not certified

A single-engine Cessna 150 crashed during a training flight into a marsh about 200 yards from the airport on August 14, killing 20-year-old Matthew Gaither of Johns Island and his flight instructor, 33-year-old Graham Borland of North Charleston. According to Federal Aviation Administration Records examined during NTSB's investigation into the accident, Borland held a commercial pilot certificate, but did not have a flight instructor certificate.

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Witnesses said the airplane "immediately looked unstable" after its liftoff, and crashed shortly after. "When the airplane reached an altitude about 100 feet above ground level, it entered a continuous left turn and subsequently rolled wings level on a westerly heading," according to witness testimony in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report. "The airplane then entered a nose down attitude followed by a right wing low attitude and was in a 'straight downward dive' when it impacted the ground." The plane's owner, Clark Hanger, confirmed to officials the plane was being used for a training flight at the time of the crash. The NTSB will continue to investigate the crash.
People Involved: 
Matthew Gaither
Graham Borland

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