On Saturday, June 14, 2025, a six-seat Beech BE58 twin-engine aircraft departed from Spartanburg Downtown Airport en route to Myrtle Beach. Around 12:47 p.m., while attempting an alternate landing, the plane crashed in a wooded area near Old Dothan Road and NC 905, close to the South Carolina–North Carolina border just outside Tabor City, N.C. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed the identities of those on board as 69-year-old Philip Porter and 66-year-old Cheryle Porter, both residents of Spartanburg, S.C. The aircraft, registered under Majesty Air Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware, was a Beech BE58 built in 1972.

Flight data from FlightAware reveals the plane reached an altitude of approximately 6,850 feet by 11:40 a.m., with tracking from 11:29 a.m. to its final contact at 12:44 p.m. Audio recordings indicate the crew reported trouble during descent: “I got smoke in the trees right now at my 9:00,” the pilot told air traffic control, “I’m on a zero-four-zero heading.” A commercial flight instructor later suggested that sky conditions might have contributed to the crash, noting that visibility and weather were factors during the attempted landing at Myrtle Beach before diverting toward Tabor City .

Local emergency services were alerted at approximately 1 p.m. and responded with support from multiple departments, including aviation teams. Deputies discovered the crash amid dense woods from a helicopter. Heavy rains later hampered recovery efforts, scattering wreckage across the terrain. The NTSB investigator on site confirmed that attention is focused on the pilot’s actions, the aircraft’s condition, and environmental aspects like weather. Officials plan to gather a comprehensive set of evidence: flight logs, maintenance records, cockpit voice and ATC communication transcripts, pilot credentials and medical history, weather data, and witness testimony, including potential doorbell or surveillance video. The wreckage will be transported to a secure facility once documentation is complete.

Residents near the crash site expressed relief that the incident occurred away from homes and children’s play areas. “It could have went another way… and there could have been more danger,” remarked neighbor Betty Hennegan. The federal investigation is ongoing and may take months to conclude. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information or video to contact the NTSB directly at witness@ntsb.gov. This tragedy underlines the inherent risks of private aviation and the complexity of investigating accidents where mechanical, environmental, and human factors intersect. As authorities work toward clarity, the Spartanburg community mourns the loss of the Porters and hopes the findings will prevent future tragedies.