Cessna 177 accident near Anderson, South Carolina, September 26, 2004
On September 26, 2004 at about 1:55 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N29650, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anderson, South Carolina. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 of fuel required for the flight and his improper in-flight decision, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2004 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Anderson, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N29650 · no longer on the register · serial 17701008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he departed at 1600 central daylight time "assuming I had five hours of fuel at departure." The pilot stated he did not visually verify the fuel level in the tanks, and that, during the flight, he "noticed the fuel gauges read lower than they should." The pilot stated he elected to continue without stopping to add fuel. The flight was at 6,000 feet approximately four to five miles from the airport when the engine quit. The pilot located a road for emergency landing. During landing roll, the left wing of the airplane struck a fence, and the airplane veered left into the fence. Emergency response personnel reported no fuel was found in the airplane's fuel tanks. A review of 911 records revealed the accident was reported by callers at 2155 eastern daylight time.
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: 405 hours in all; 185 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMJD Picayune MS
- Destination: KGMU Greenville SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N29650 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.