Cessna 182A N5879B

Summary

On 16 August 1985 at about 18:20 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N5879B was involved in an accident near Santa Paula, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

16 August 1985 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Paula, California, United States

Coordinates

34.4006, -119.0701

Aircraft

Cessna 182A

Registration

N5879B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paso Robles → Santa Paula

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX85LA350

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLT THE ACFT EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION AND COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING IN A RIVER BED. THE PLT SAID 4 HRS AND 20 MNS OF ENGINE RUN TIME HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE LAST FUELING OF THE ACFT. AT THE LAST FUELING, THE PLT SAID HE ORDERED THE ACFT 'TOPPED,' HOWEVER, DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL LEVEL PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE POWER LOSS, THE PLT SAID BOTH FUEL GAGES INDICATED ONE-QUARTER OF A TANK EACH. SUBSEQUENT TESTING OF THE FUEL QUANTITY MEASURING SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE LEFT SYSTEM WAS INCORRECTLY CALIBRATED AND THE GAGE INDICATED ONE NEEDLE WIDTH BELOW THE ONE-QUARTER INDICIES WHEN THE TRANSMITTER WAS IN THE EMPTY POSITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.