Cessna A185F N1839R

Summary

On 9 July 2023 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N1839R was involved in an accident near La Mesa, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 July 2023 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

La Mesa, California, United States

Coordinates

32.7837, -117.0264

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N1839R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA264

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed the airport to relocate the airplane to another nearby airport. The pilot calculated he would need about 5 gallons of fuel to complete the flight. The pilot stated he planned to refuel at another local airport. He stated that one month before the accident, the fuel tanks were filled. He reported that he did not visually check each tank's fuel level during his preflight, but the fuel gauges indicated there was about 16 gallons of fuel on board. About 1,700 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported that the engine had lost power during cruise flight. The engine briefly gained power for about 10 seconds before losing all power again. The pilot decided to land the airplane in a residential area and the right wing struck a powerline on landing approach and crash-landed in a parking lot. Subsequently, the airplane struck a fence and dense vegetation and came to rest in a ravine. The airplane's fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. Due to the damage sustained to the engine, an engine run was not performed. Since the pilot did not visually inspect the amount of fuel in both tanks before the accident flight, it is possible that the engine had a fuel starvation or exhaustion event due to an unreliable fuel gauge; however, the reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.