Legendary NASCAR driver Curtis Turner, en route to Charlotte from Atlanta in the late 1960s, decided to visit a friend in Easley to grab a bottle of whiskey. Turner touched down in his twin-engine Aero Commander on Main Street but quickly realized he had made a colossal mistake. As Turner taxied to his friend’s house, two churches beside the house were letting out from Sunday service.
The incident caused a telephone outage as Turner’s plane struck infrastructure at the intersection. One police officer told the FAA, “I was driving along minding my business when I looked up, and here comes a gawdamned airplane!” When Curtis Turner landed in Charlotte, his pilot’s license was revoked as soon as the wheels touched the tarmac.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.