Cessna 182C accident near Anderson, South Carolina, November 17, 1996
On November 17, 1996 at about 6:00 am local time, a Cessna 182C, registered N8605T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anderson, South Carolina. It was a personal 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 pilot's improper preflight, resulting in the fuel cap(s) not being secured; and subsequent siphoning and loss of fuel, which resulted in loss of engine power, a forced landing, and subsequent collision with a ditch during the emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 1996 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Anderson, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182C · all 182Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8605T · no longer on the register · serial 52505
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he completed a walk-around inspection of the airplane after having it refueled. He did not check the fuel caps to ensure they were secured. He took off, climbed to 3,000 feet, and leveled off in cruise flight. He observed the fuel gauges were indicating empty. The engine sputtered and quit. The pilot made a forced landing to a road and the airplane collided with a ditch on landing roll-out. Examination revealed evidence that fuel had siphoned from the fuel tanks due to loose fuel cap(s).
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: 89 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 41 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 5:30 am
- Destination: 7A1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 am from AND, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.