What happened
On the day of the accident, a privately owned aircraft was conducting an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Greater Cumberland Regional Airport in Maryland to Myrtle Beach International Airport in South and South Carolina. While following radar vectors for the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 36, the pilot encountered significant turbulence.
As the aircraft progressed past the outer marker on the final approach, the pilot experienced a rapid loss of altitude, which he attributed to a potential microburst. Despite applying maximum power in an effort to regain altitude, the plane continued its descent. The aircraft eventually struck the surface of the Atlantic Ocean approximately one mile from the approach end of runway 36. The impact was severe enough that an FAA inspection of the wreckage showed the cockpit had separated from the main fuselage. The pilot sustained serious injuries during the event.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing instrument meteorological conditions. Weather observations at the airport recorded broken cloud layers at 6,000 feet and few clouds at 3,500 feet, with winds originating from 010 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot's encounter with heavy turbulence and a suspected microburst was the primary factor leading to the rapid descent and subsequent terrain collision.