Aviation Alert: Georgia man struck by plane during emergency beach landing

2010-03-16 21:48:12 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Aviation Airline Accident, Justice News Flash)

Beachgoer struck by plane during emergency landing.

Legal News for South Carolina Aviation Accident Attorneys. The FAA and NTSB are investigating a horrific accident, in which a plane struck a man walking on the beach.

South Carolina aviation accident attorney alerts- FAA, NTSB to probe unusual plane-pedestrian collision on Hilton Head Island.

Hilton Head Island, SC—A pleasant stroll on the beach turned into a deadly and unusual tragedy when a plane struck a beachgoer as it was making an emergency landing Monday evening, March 15, 2010. The single-engine aircraft was en route to Virginia from Orlando, Florida when the incident occurred on the beach at Palmetto Dunes, according to information provided by WTOC.com.

The unidentified pilot of the Experimental Lancair IV-P aircraft allegedly reported that his vision was hindered when oil began leaking onto the windshield of the small plane. While the pilot’s initial objective was to land the plane at Hilton Head Island Airport, the propeller fell off the plane before he could do so, subsequently prompting the need for an emergency landing.

As the plane made its descent at approximately 6 p.m., a Georgia man was reported walking along the shore listening to his iPod. The beachgoer, identified as Robert Gary Jones, 38, apparently failed to hear the plane rapidly approaching the beach and was violently struck just as the aircraft was about to land. The Lancair IV-P came to a rest in the ocean just offshore.

Jones seemingly suffered traumatic injuries, which proved fatal at the scene, while the pilot and a passenger occupying the airplane at the time managed to exit the aircraft without any injuries. Although Hilton Head Fire Rescue, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office and Beaufort County Emergency Management were dispatched to the scene, officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be conducting further investigations into the pedestrian-aircraft collision.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for South Carolina Aviation Accident Lawyers.