Piper PA-28-180 N5388L

Summary

On 24 July 1995 at about 02:20 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N5388L, operated by Camarillo Flight Center, 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. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 July 1995 at 02:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Paula, California, United States

Coordinates

34.3996, -119.0697

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N5388L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Camarillo Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Camarillo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA268

Nobody was injured.

fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to perform preflight fuel consumption calculations, and his failure to refuel the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE BACK TO HIS ORIGIN AIRPORT ON A ROUND ROBIN CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT AS HE NEARED THE DESTINATION. HE TOLD RESPONDING POLICE OFFICERS THAT HE RAN OUT OF GAS AND HAD TO LAND IN THE RIVERBED. ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS BY THE OFFICERS. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ORIGINALLY DID THE FLIGHT PLANING FOR THIS FLIGHT IN A CESSNA 172. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER FLOWN THE PIPER PA28 BEFORE THIS FLIGHT. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE OPERATOR'S FBO, HE WAS TOLD THAT THE CESSNA 172 WAS UNAVAILABLE AND HE WAS OFFERED THE PIPER INSTEAD. THE PILOT SAID HE 'SHOULD HAVE REPLANNED THE FLIGHT, BUT WAS IN A HURRY.' HE ASSUMED THAT THE PIPER AND THE CESSNA HAD SIMILAR FUEL CONSUMPTION RATES. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT REFUEL IN LAS VEGAS BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH FOR THE RETURN TRIP.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.