Aircraft Door Detaches, Plunges Near Residential Area in Myrtle Beach
On Tuesday, residents in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were taken aback when an airplane door detached in mid-air and plummeted onto a nearby residential area shortly after the plane’s takeoff.
Description of the Incident
The surveilling Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that a Diamond DA40 aircraft had to declare an emergency when its door fell off. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and a passenger at the time, fortunately, it did not result in any injuries.
An unsuspected local resident, Wendy Hodges, was leaving her Market Common home when she was approached by a pedicab driver who had witnessed the monstrous chunk of an airplane falling close to Murray Avenue. Striving to believe the improbable occurrence, Hodges rushed over to identify a huge segment of the plane landing in her neighbor’s yard. She said: “It was totally intact. It is indeed lucky that no damage was inflicted, and no one was hurt”.
Tracking the plane
According to data from the FlightAware service, the rogue aircraft was attributed to the LIFT Academy. The flight number fits with a LIFT Academy plane, and a maintenance vehicle from the Academy was seen at the mishap’s location soon after.
FlightAware’s tracking indicated the aircraft’s departure from Myrtle Beach International Airport at 2:53 p.m. and returning at the same airport an unsettling eight minutes later at 3:01 p.m. According to the FAA, the plane was headed towards Florence Regional Airport before its door fell off.
Aftermath of the incident
On the afternoon of the bizarre occurrence, Hodges disclosed that a LIFT Academy crew collected the fallen aircraft part and scrutinized the affected area for potential damages. However, there have been no responses since from the LIFT Academy when contacted for a comment on the incident. Investigations into the fault and its root cause are ongoing and updates will ensue when available.
Local reactions
Local residents have been understandably shaken after the terrifying incident, questioning what could have been a disastrous situation. Despite the relief at the damage and injury-free outcome of the incident, locals are becoming increasingly weary of the skies.
