3 days ago
Myrtle Beach aviation company denies wrongdoing in wake of 2022 airplane crash that killed two
FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A federal jury may decide next year whether a Myrtle Beach-based aviation company is liable for the deaths of two North Carolina men.
Court records show that jury selection is slated for March 2 in a wrongful death suit filed in February by the estates of Terry Druffel and Barrie McMurtrie, who were killed in a single-engine plane wreck on Sept. 14, 2022 in a wooded area outside of Conway.
The men, both from Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., had extensive backgrounds in flying, according to their obituaries.
A National Transportation Safety Bureau report listed a mechanic's failure to install a required gasket on the vacuum pump drive bad as the accident's probable cause — an oversight that led to catastrophic loss in engine power, the agency concluded.
The Piper P28R crashed about eight miles north of Myrtle Beach roughly 10 minutes after taking off, flight tracking data shows. It was worked on by Executive Helijet Aviation months earlier, the lawsuit claims.
Druffel and McMurtrie's estates are suing for more than $75,000 on grounds of wrongful death and negligence.
In its response to the complaint, Executive Helijet denied any liability for the crash.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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