Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released preliminary findings in an investigation into a small plane crash earlier this month in Lexington County.
The crash killed the passenger and injured the pilot.
The newly released report details what happened on Feb. 6., as the pilot of a Cirrus SR22 called "mayday" over the airwaves to air traffic controllers just 13 miles from takeoff at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
The pilot then reported the aircraft "lost its engine", according to the report.
The report said the pilot attempted to land at White Plains, a private airport in Lexington, but crashed just short of the runway after hitting a tree.
The plane was headed to Alabama. The victim who died in the crash was identified as 30-year-old Andrew Nichols of Huntsville.
A probable cause for the engine failure has not yet been identified as NTSB continues to investigate.
