Latest news with #PhilPorter
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Businessman and glamorous wife die after boarding private plane during storm forecast
A South Carolina businessman and his wife died in a private plane crash as they attempted to land in heavy storms. Engineering executive Phil Porter, 69, and his wife Cheryle, 66, tragically lost their lives on Saturday when the jet he was piloting crashed near Dothan, North Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. According to the Gaffney Ledger, Porter had years of experience as a pilot before the deadly crash. The couple took off from Spartanburg and were reportedly set to land at Grand Strand Airport in South Carolina but were diverted due to heavy storms, and crashed as they made their descent. Their twin-engine Beechcraft plane was traveling at around 250mph when it fell from the skies. The cause of the crash is not yet known, and authorities said they have launched an investigation into the deadly incident. Porter owned Porter's Electric Motor Service which he inherited from his father, and his wife worked as a sales representative at the family firm. The husband and wife both died in the crash, with no other injuries or deaths on the ground reported after their jet landed in a wooded area. On his company's profile, Porter's Electric Motor Service is described as a mechanical maintenance and repair firm in the Gaffney, South Carolina area. According to FAA data cited by WBTW, Porter has been certified to fly since 2013. Although the cause of the crash is unclear, air traffic control chatter first obtained by News13 shed some light on the final moments of the couple's final flight. Porter could reportedly be heard telling operators: 'I got some smoke in the trees at my nine 'o clock. I'm on a zero-four-zero heading. I saw him on my (database).' Robert Katz, a commercial pilot with more than 43 years of experience, told the outlet that he believes a combination of heavy weather and pilot error may have contributed to the crash. 'It appears that his flight from Spartanburg was pretty much routine for the most part until he gets into the Myrtle Beach area where is warned about heavy weather. He's not unaware of it,' he said. 'He attempts to approach Grand Strand at exactly the wrong time, when severe weather is in the vicinity.' Flight data showed Porter's plane, which had last flown less than two weeks before the crash, circled away from Grand Strand airport before the crash. 'He is, in effect, scared off, and then attempts to escape the area to the northwest only to find himself in thicker weather at that point, which overtakes him,' Katz said.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Subaru of Jacksonville ‘Shares the Love' with Wolfson Children's Hospital, donating $205K
Subaru of Jacksonville gave a huge gift to Wolfson Children's Hospital on Friday. As part of its annual Share the Love campaign, the auto dealership presented the hospital with a check for nearly $205,000. It's the dealership's largest-ever donation. This year, Subaru of America raised money for charity by donating $250 for every new vehicle purchased or leased between Nov. 21 and Jan. 2. Customers could choose which charity gets the donation. This year, Subaru of Jacksonville took it a step further by donating an additional $350 for every new car sold or leased to Wolfson Children's Hospital. Subaru of Jacksonville chose the hospital as its hometown charity in 2016. To date, the dealership has donated nearly $1.8 million. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'Giving back to our community has always been at the heart of what we do. For the past nine years, our partnership with Wolfson Children's Hospital has been incredibly meaningful, and we're honored to support the amazing work they do for children and families. Seeing the impact of these donations—whether it's funding life-saving treatments or simply bringing a smile to a child's face—reminds us why this commitment is so important. We're not just a dealership; we're a family, and this community is part of that family,' Phil Porter Sr., owner of Subaru of Jacksonville, said in a news release. Wolfson Children's Hospital is a nonprofit that relies on charitable donations to provide care for its young patients, regardless of their families' ability to pay. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'Our community's unwavering support empowers us to deliver top-decile, lifesaving care to children in North Florida and beyond when they need it most,' Allegra C. Jaros, MBA, president of Wolfson Children's Hospital, said in the release. 'Thanks to the generosity of donors like Subaru of Jacksonville and the Porter family, we're able to enhance a multitude of services, invest in cutting-edge technology, and ensure that every child, no matter their background or their family's financial situation, receives the highest level of specialized care.' Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
