Cessna 172 accident near Orangeburg, South Carolina, October 21, 2023
On October 21, 2023 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 172, registered N7607T, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Orangeburg, South Carolina (Orangeburg Muni 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a fuel truck while taxiing. Also contributing was the flight instructor’s inadequate monitoring of the student pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2023 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orangeburg, South Carolina · Orangeburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 A, built 1959 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7607T · registry record · serial 47207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing crosswind takeoffs and landings. After completing two successful landings, the student pilot was taxiing back to the runway when the airplane drifted to the right and the right wing impacted a fuel truck parked next to the taxiway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Awareness of condition
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Student/instructed pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,371 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,350 as pilot in command; 1,235 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 26, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,576.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,508 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from OGB
Weather report (METAR): METAR KOGB 211653Z AUTO 30007G17KT 280V340 10SM CLR 22/05 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP096 T02170050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA021.