# Accident 19990719043479A: Cessna 150J, Huntington Beac, CA, July 19, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 19, 1999, 19:40 local time
- Place: Huntington Beac, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7202° N, 118.0006° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7202&lon=-118.0006&mi=10
- Aircraft: N60169, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60169-2001-02-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 150J (registry code 2071820, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 150J
- Reported engine: CONT O200A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 394 total, 321 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA255) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990719043479A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 7-19-99, PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ WHILE ENROUTE FROM RIVERSIDE AIRPORT TO LONG BEACH AIRPORT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS OVER HUNTINGTON BEACH, CAL. WHILE ON APPROACH TO LGB, THE PILOT CRASH LANDED ON BRIARCLIFF DR. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED UPON LANDING AFTER STRIKING A TREE. THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY ^PRIVACY DATA^ OWNER OF A/C RECOVERY SERVICES AND FAA INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DA^DETERMINED THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE INVESTIGATION WAS TURNED OVER TO THE OPERATIONS SECTION FOR FOLLOW UP. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE USED A DIPSTICK DURING PREFLIGHT, WHICH WAS GRADUATED IN FOUR EQUAL INCREMENTS, BUT NOT CALIBRATED FOR THIS AIRPLANE. BASED UPON THE MARK ON THE DIPSTICK, HE DETERMINED THE TANKS WERE SLIGHTLY OVER 1/3 OF CAPACITY AND ESTIMATED HE HAD 13 TO 14 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD. HE ESTIMATED 9 GALLONS WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE FLIGHT. DURING A SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEW, THE PILOT TOLD A FAA INSPECTOR THE AIRPLANE HAD A 38-GALLON FUEL CAPACITY. THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET SPECIFIES 26 GALLONS TOTAL FUEL CAPACITY WITH 22.5 GALLONS USEABLE. STANDARD TANKS WERE FOUND ON THE AIRPLANE DURI                                               NG POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION. AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT FLEW A TOTAL OF 1.5 HOURS, COMPLETING ONE TAKEOFF AND LANDING AND THREE PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACHES. ON RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ILS FINAL APPROACH COURSE AT LONG BEACH, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED, THEN QUIT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING ON A CITY STREET AND COLLIDED WITH MULTIPLE OBSTACLES. RECOVERY PERSONNEL REPORTED DRAINING 2 PINTS OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND NO FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK. FOLLOWING RECOVERY, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED IN THE AIRFRAME AND SUCCESSFULLY TEST RUN.

## 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 LAX99LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA255), Jul 20, 1999: Cessna 150J (N60169), Huntington Bch, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to ensure that adequate fuel was on board to complete the flight. The pilot's basic lack of knowledge of the airplane's fuel capacity was a factor.

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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