| Crash location | 34.283611°N, 80.564722°W |
| Nearest city | Camden, SC
34.246539°N, 80.607024°W 3.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N3287L |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 08 Mar 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172 |
| Additional details: | None |
On March 9, 2003, at 0056 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N3287L, registered to and operated by Seritech Inc., collided with trees during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power near Camden, South Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with a VFR flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at 2345 on March 8, 2003.
The personal flight was several miles from the destination airport in Camden when the engine lost power. Efforts by the pilot to restore engine power failed. The airplane collided with and was lodged in the tops of trees about three miles short of the runway at Woodward Field.
Examination of the airplane revealed the wings were severely damaged. Left inboard wing and flap bent downward, inboard leading edge of left wing bent, and tip of left wing broken off. Right outboard leading edge crushed and tip broken upward. The nose cowling and engine mounts were bent.
The distance between Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Woodward Field, Camden, South Carolina is approximately 96 nautical miles. According to the pilot, on March 5, 2003 he filled both fuel tanks to the maximum level. That same day, the pilot flew from Woodward Field to Grand Strand Airport and back to Woodward Field. The next day, on March 6, the pilot flew again from Woodward Field to Grand Strand Airport then back to Woodward Field. On March 8, the pilot stated that he put 7.5 gallons in each tank. During the wreckage recovery operation, no fuel was recovered from the fuel system. Later examination of the engine revealed that the engine operation tested normal. The engine was mounted on a test fixture with the necessary fuel supply and ran at various RPM up to 1000 RPM for 2 minutes. It was shut off to check for leaks, none noted, then ran again for an additional 2 minutes at 1400 RPM.
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, subsequent loss of engine power and an in-flight collision with terrain.