Cessna 182A accident near Walterboro, South Carolina, July 10, 2004
On July 10, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N3955D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Walterboro, South Carolina (Low Country Regional airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 of fuel required for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Walterboro, South Carolina · Low Country Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N3955D · no longer on the register · serial 34655
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after skydivers exited the aircraft, he began a descent from 10,500 feet msl in the direction of the airport. He stated that upon reaching 2000 feet msl, he enriched the mixture, and the engine lost power. He stated he elected to land on a nearby road. The airplane collided with a pick-up truck and departed the road to the right. During the examination of the airplane, there was no fuel leak or fuel odor observed at the scene or on the airframe. There was no fuel present in the left fuel tank and trace amount of fuel recovered in the right fuel tank. During the post-accident examination of the airplane, the fuel tank was refueled and a functional engine run was accomplished. There were no mechanical anomalies noted during the examination of the airplane.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 448 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 364 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 0, 1900
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,168.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 2004; 43.6 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RBW Waltersboro SC at 6:00 pm
- Destination: RBW Waltersboro SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KNBC, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.