February 04, Bluffton, S.C. / Mooney Ovation

At about 13:18 eastern time, a Mooney M20R crashed in Bluffton, killing the pilot and passenger. The pilot had filed an IFR flight plan and had taken off about nine minutes earlier. A controller at Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station said the aircraft was level at 3,000 feet on a heading of 070 degrees when the heading changed to 010 degrees and the altitude decreased, followed by a continuous turn to the right and corresponding descent in altitude. The last radar indication showed the airplane on a heading of 230 degrees and an altitude of 2,400 feet. The airplane struck high voltage power lines and burst into flames.