Saturday, May. 31, 2008

Banner plane crash in Carolina Forest

A banner plane crashed in a Carolina Forest neighborhood about 11:15 a.m. Saturday, according to an Horry County Fire Rescue official.

The plane was a Piper PA18 and had left Sky Signs off U.S. 701 South in Conway and was returning to the beachfront area of the Grand Strand when it crashed, said Todd Cartner, spokesman for Horry County fire. The pilot walked away from the crash and was not hurt.

The pilot tried to land the plane on Desert Wheatgrass Drive in the Brighton Lakes subdivision off Carolina Forest Boulevard, but instead landed in a vacant lot at the end of Desert Wheatgrass Drive.

Horry County Fire officials used foam to contain the plane's fuel, which was estimated at about 36 gallons, Cartner said.

Officials contacted the Federal Aviation Administration about the crash and were waiting for investigators to arrive at the scene.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.