WWII-Era Biplane Crashes In S.C. Near Medal Of Honor Event; 2 Aboard Dead

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) _ A small World War II-era biplane crashed into a sandbar in Charleston Harbor on Wednesday, killing both people aboard, authorities said. <br/><br/>The plane went down about

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007, 8:20 pm

By: News On 6

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) _ A small World War II-era biplane crashed into a sandbar in Charleston Harbor on Wednesday, killing both people aboard, authorities said.

The plane went down about 150 yards from shore shortly before 7 p.m. and not far from Patriots Point, where a black-tie gala was being held to honor recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard didn't receive any calls about the plane until it crashed, spokesman Sean Shrum said.

The wreckage was found about two miles southeast of Patriots Point, but the occupants appeared to have been killed on impact, Shrum said.

People living nearby said the plane banked to the right before it turned upside down and crashed, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported on its Web site.

The Coast Guard didn't immediately know whether the plane had anything to do with the event, which comes just days before the Medal of Honor Museum is set to open. The museum, aboard the USS Yorktown on Charleston Harbor, is a tribute to the 3,444 recipients of the nation's highest military honor.