William "Skipper" Beck Dies in Plane CrashWilliam "Skipper" Beck Dies in Plane Crash

William "Skipper" Beck died Friday, September 11, when his Cirrus SR22 crashed at the Rock Hill/York County Airport in North Carolina. Beck was the only one on board.

The plane apparently had engine trouble at takeoff, prompting Beck to return to the airport when the plane went down.

Beck, 49, was a longtime car dealer whose Beck Automotive Group appeared on the Ward's Megadealer 100 ranking for several years as one of the top dealer groups in the country. Beck ran the group with his younger brother, Bobby, but in recent years had been selling the group's stores.

Beck sold his Charlotte-based Mercedes store, Beck Imports, this spring to the Hendrick Automotive Group (Sonic Races to Avoid Bankruptcy.)

Last year, the Becks sold Prestige Ford in Garland, TX, one of the country's top dealerships, to Randall Reed.

Beck held a 5% ownership in the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats and was instrumental in bringing the basketball team to Charlotte. Beck was known around Charlotte for his philanthropy, but was in the process of moving beyond a difficult legal situation arising from soliciting a prostitute involved in the high-priced Hush Hush call girl ring.