A South Carolina pilot has been arrested after witnesses said he made repeated low passes over a crowded beach on Pawleys Island, prompting an FAA investigation and a criminal charge.
William Roger Williamson III, 50, of Florence, South Carolina, turned himself in to the Georgetown County Detention Center on May 26, 2026, according to local authorities.
He was charged with breach of peace, aggravated in nature, and released on a $5,000 bond.
The incident happened on April 10, 2026, when the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls about an extremely low-flying aircraft making several passes over Pawleys Island.
Video of the incident shared on social media has had pilots divided over the charges Williamson faces, with some saying the pilot was clearly reckless while others arguing his arrest is a case of government overreach.
Investigators later identified the aircraft and the pilot through CCTV footage that showed Williamson was flying the aircraft that day.
The case was shared with the South Carolina Flight Standards District Office, which completed an FAA investigation before the arrest warrant was issued.
Witnesses described the aircraft flying low enough to alarm people on the beach and near beachfront homes.
One witness told WMBF News that the aircraft appeared to “zero in” on her family before making three low passes over the beach.
“He turned and he just sort of zeroed in on us like he was dive bombing, and just started straight for us, so close,” the witness said. “We sort of dove out of our beach chairs because we literally thought he was going to crash into the beach.”
Another witness told the outlet that the aircraft nearly hit a beach house with one of its wheels.
According to local reporting, Williamson told FAA investigators that the aircraft developed carburetor icing after takeoff. He said a control knob came off while he was trying to deice the carburetor, causing the aircraft to “dip” before he regained control.
Investigators were not persuaded by the explanation, according to the reports.
An FAA investigator told the sheriff’s office that pilots are trained to handle emergency situations over water, toward the water, or along the shoreline when possible, so the aircraft has a safer path in the event of a forced landing.
The witness accounts also described multiple low passes, not a single loss-of-control event.
Authorities said Williamson failed to respond to an FAA enforcement letter within the required 30-day period. A Georgetown County judge approved an arrest warrant on May 19, 2026.
The FAA’s minimum safe altitude rule, 14 CFR 91.119, requires aircraft to operate at an altitude that allows an emergency landing without undue hazard to people or property on the surface, except when necessary for takeoff or landing.
The regulation also sets minimum altitude requirements over congested areas, open-air assemblies of people, and other areas.
The FAA can pursue enforcement action against pilots for careless or reckless operation, unsafe low flying, or other violations of federal aviation regulations. FAA enforcement actions can include certificate suspension, certificate revocation, and civil fines.
The criminal case against Williamson will be handled separately from any FAA certificate action.
