Small plane removed from marsh at Beaufort Executive Airport after aborted takeoff
The Beaufort Executive Airport reopened early Wednesday morning after a crew worked through the night to pull a small plane from the marsh following a mishap during takeoff, according to Beaufort County and airport officials.
There were no injuries and no fuel spills or other hazards were reported.
The plane, an Extra EA-400, a single-engine high-winged monoplane, went into the marsh around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in an aborted takeoff, officials said in a press release. The pilot and one passenger were taking off when “there appeared to be a malfunction of some sort,” according to Scott Harris, a spokesperson for Lady’s Island/St. Helena Fire District.
“She, the pilot, tried to abort the takeoff but ran out of runway, causing the single-engine plane to skid off of the runway into the marsh towards Sea Island Parkway,” Harris said.
When firefighters arrived, Harris said, both the pilot and passenger were in the plane but were able to walk out on their own.
Crews using a crane were able to recover the plane just after midnight, according to Jon Rembold, airport director for Beaufort County.
“Something like that requires a crane because you have to very carefully cradle the aircraft when you remove it,” Rembold said. “Even though it is a small airplane, it takes a lot of strength to move it just because ... you don’t want to drag something like that out of the marsh and do more damage.”
Rembold did not immediately know the extent of the damage of the plane. The airport was closed while the crew worked to get the plane out of the marsh. It reopened around 4 or 5 a.m., Rembold said.
The cause of the malfunction is under investigation, Harris said.
