Cessna 172N accident near Bluffton, South Carolina, November 21, 2010
On November 21, 2010 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N882AV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bluffton, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight upset of undetermined origin resulting in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2010 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Bluffton, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N882AV · no longer on the register · serial 17269667
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane was in cruise flight at 2,000 feet mean sea level, when he felt a violent impact/upset and thought something hit the rudder. The airplane became unstable and started to rock from side to side, causing the pilot to perform a forced landing to a river. The airplane was not located or recovered and is assumed to have sustained substantial damage. The cause of the reported violent impact/upset could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Inflight upset during enroute (cruise)
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 113 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 113 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 89,118 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 7, 2010; 337 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-HZAD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HXD Hilton Head SC
- Destination: RBW Walterboro SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.