HOLLY HILL, S.C. — We're learning new details regarding the crash of a small aircraft at a rural airport in Orangeburg County.
A spokesperson for the town hall said that the crash happened at 100 Airport Road, which is the address of Holly Hill Airport.
According to the Holly Hill police department, dispatchers were called before 11 a.m. Police chief Joshua Detter says he received a call from witness Ron Connolly saying an ultralight plane had crashed behind his hangar.
The pilot's condition hasn't been released but the airport manager said he appeared to be "injured pretty badly" and expected him to be airlifted to an area hospital.
Chief Detter says he is unsure the cause of the crash. The pilot was flown in a helicopter to Trident Hospital in North Charleston to be treated for his injuries.
Detter added that he was glad a witness was at the location at the time since the airport isn't manned, describing it as a "hobby airport."
"This gentleman being out here, I really hate to think of what had happened if Mr. Connolly wasn't out here as well and just happened to see it, I don't know how long that man would have been laying trapped in that plane in the woods like that," he said.
A spokesperson for Orangeburg Emergency Medical Services said that the aircraft is designated as an ultralight. The aircraft category covers a wide range of extremely low-weight vehicles that can range from 155 to 254 pounds depending on whether they are powered or unpowered. The Federal Aviation Administration later reported that the aircraft in question is a single-engine Flightstar II and that the pilot was the only person aboard.
“We’re just glad that Mr. Connolly was here so we were all able to get here quick, fast, and in a hurry and everybody worked flawlessly together. The fire department, the EMS, everybody was fantastic," said Detter.
