Cessna 172 accident near Camden, South Carolina, March 8, 2003
On March 8, 2003 at about 5:56 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N3287L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Camden, South Carolina (Camden Woodward airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, subsequent loss of engine power and an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2003 · about 5:56 am local time
- Place
- Camden, South Carolina · Camden Woodward · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3287L · no longer on the register · serial 17256187
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The personal flight was several miles from the destination airport in Camden, South Carolina, when the engine lost power. Efforts by the pilot to restore engine power failed. The airplane collided with and was lodged in the tops of trees about three miles short of the runway at Woodward Field, South Carolina. Examination of the airplane revealed the wings were severely damaged. Left inboard wing and flap bent downward, inboard leading edge of left wing bent, and tip of left wing broken off. Right outboard leading edge crushed and tip broken upward. The nose cowling and engine mounts were bent. During the wreckage recovery operation, no fuel was recovered from the fuel system. Post-accident investigation of the engine revealed no anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 204 hours in all; 194 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 153 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 4, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,221.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2002; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRE North Myrtle Be SC at 4:30 am
- Destination: Camden SC
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 am from SSC, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.