Cessna 172S accident near Savannah, Georgia, August 24, 2005
On August 24, 2005 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N21670, was substantially damaged in an accident near Savannah, Georgia (Savannah International airport). It was an instructional 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 instructor's inadequate supervision and failure to maintain directional control, resulting in an on ground collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2005 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Savannah, Georgia · Savannah International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N21670 · registry record · serial 172S9709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight departed runway 36 for a local flight to remain in the traffic pattern for a series of touch and goes. After making the first touch and go, the flight remained in the traffic pattern and established a normal approach to land. As the student pilot flared to land, the airplane began to drift and landed to the right of the runway centerline. An attempt to position the airplane with the centerline was made, but the airplane continued past the centerline to the left. The certified flight instructor took control of the airplane as it veered off the runway and collided with a ditch. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose and right main landing gear were bent aft and the engine firewall buckled. Post-accident examination of the flight control surfaces revealed no mechanical failures. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical problems with 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 562 hours in all; 411 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 423 as pilot in command; 109 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 526 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2005; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Savannah Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Savannah GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N21670 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.