A McClellanville man died Wednesday in the second fatal aviation crash in Georgetown County in less than a year.

 Richard H. Gross, 66, died when the small plane he was piloting went down in a wooded area adjacent to the Andrews Airport at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Georgetown County Coroner’s Office.

According to the Coroner's Office, Gross died on the scene at about noon Wednesday, about an hour after the crash.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the plane was a single engine Stinson.

Georgetown County Sheriff’s spokesman Neil Johnson said the plane went down about 150 yards from the runway of the airport, also known as the Robert Swinney Airport.

Lunsford said Gross was the only person aboard the plane when it crashed. There was no air traffic communication with Gross during his flight.

The airport is closed while the investigation takes place, Johnson said.

Lunsford said because it is a fatal accident, the National Transportation and Safety Board will be the lead investigative agency.

Pete Kinder, chairman of the Georgetown County Airport Commission, said Wednesday Gross had kept his plane at the Andrews Airport but he had personally never seen him fly the plane.

Lunsford said it is still unknown whether Gross had just taken off from the airport or was attempting to land at the time of the crash.

The last fatal aviation accident in Georgetown County occurred in September, 2009 when a medical helicopter, owned by OnmiFlight Helicopters, crashed in a densely-wooded area off of White Hall Road, just south of Maryville.

The pilot, a nurse and medic were all killed in that accident.