# Accident 19980728023979A: Cessna 182, California City, CA, July 28, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 28, 1998, 15:15 local time
- Place: California City, CA
- Airport: California City Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1512° N, 118.0167° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CALIFORNIA CITY MUNI (L71), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1512&lon=-118.0167&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6493A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6493A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182 (registry code 2072702, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182
- Reported engine: CONT O470L
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 720 total, 190 in this make and model, 240 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA252) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980728023979A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST POWER. CRASH LANDED IN DESERT. (.19)ON JULY 28, 1998, AT 1515 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT ITME, A CESSNA 182, N6493A, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE DESERT NEAR THE CALIFORNIA CITY, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED.  VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDTIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE ORIGIN AND DESTINATION OF THE FLIGHT ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REFUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH APPROXIMATELY 3.5 INCHES OF FUEL, WHICH EQUATES TO 15.5 GALLONS.  ACCORDING TO THE POH AT 6,500 FEET THE FUEL BURN IS APPROXIMATELY 13.9 GALLONS AN HOUR.  THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR 1.5 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY AFTER DROPPING SKYDIVERS AND RETURNING TO BASE.  HE COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WITHOUT AN ENGINE RESTART AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN SOFT DESERT TERRAIN AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR.  THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE WERE INSPECTED.  IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS A MINOR LEAK FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL SELECTOR UNIT; HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ANOMALIES WERE NOTED.  A  DISCREPANCY SHEET NOTED THAT THE MAGNETOS WERE NOT GROUNDED, THE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE GAGES WERE INOPERATIVE, AND FUEL NEEDED TO BE IN BOTH TANKS WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE BOTH POSITION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA252), Jul 28, 1998: Cessna 182 (N6493A), California City, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to assure that an adequate supply of fuel was available for the flight and his inadequate preflight planning/preparation.

## Other reports on N6493A (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19870704038409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870704038409I), Jul 4, 1987: Cessna 182 (N6493A), Piedmont, OK. Chutist was attempting to avoid a pipe barrier on landing and impacted in an unstable position.
- [Incident 19870620048119I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870620048119I), Jun 20, 1987: Cessna 182 (N6493A), Cushing, OK, 1 fatal. Using a slow opening chute became alarmed and cut away too soon. Also failed to thumb reserve d ring. Fatal impact.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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