What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 28, 2001, about 1846 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N67418, was substantially damaged during approach to landing at Pacoima, California. The private pilot received minor injuries and the private pilot passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight operated by the renter pilot under 14 CFR part 91, and a visual flight plan was filed. The flight originated at bullhead city, Arizona, about 1630 mountain standard time, as a return flight to Pacoima. The pilot declared a "mayday" about 1/2 mile short of runway 12, and landed on a city street colliding with a light pole. Both private pilots were recently certificated; the operating pilot on July 21, 2001, and the passenger pilot on June 16, 2001. Together they had flown to bullhead city, with a restroom stop at daggett, California. At bullhead city, they added 10 gallons of fuel to the aircraft. According to the rental operator, the pilots had called about and instrument pressure problem. They had the problem diagnosed as a failed vacuum pump with placarding of the gyro instruments as inoperative. The operator had advised the pilots to leave the a irplane and rent a car to drive home. The operating pilot stated that at the time of the loss of engine power the left fuel gauge was still in the mid-range and the right was on empty. He estimated the total flight time from Pacoima to bullhead city and back was about 5:15 hours. He thought that they used 6 or 7 gallons per hour as a fuel burn rate. According to fire department personnel on-scene, the pilot commmented to them that they may have run out of fuel. The fire department reported that the airplane appeared to be out of fuel. (-23) pilots were distracted by an instrument pressure problem apparently caused by a failed vacuum pump, which rendered the gyro instrument inoperative. The pilots placarded these instruments and elected to continue with the minimum instruments for VFR flight in VFR conditions. They had carefully calculated their fuel burn, but some additional flight and taxi time dut to this distraction resulted in their overflying their fuel reserves. Both pilots were recently certificated and their flight planning was thorough, however the flight did not go as planned. Pilots were counseled on flight planni ng, fuel contingency planning, if flight times change, and inflight decision making.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 28, 2001, ABOUT 1846 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152, N67418, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING APPROACH TO LANDING AT PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PRIVATE PILOT PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED BY THE RENTER PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND A VISUAL FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA, ABOUT 1630 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AS A RETURN FLIGHT TO PACOIMA. THE PILOT DECLARED A "MAYDAY" ABOUT 1/2 MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 12, AND LANDED ON A CITY STREET COLLIDING WITH A LIGHT POLE. BOTH PRIVATE PILOTS WERE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED; THE OPERATING PILOT ON JULY 21, 2001, AND THE PASSENGER PILOT ON JUNE 16, 2001. TOGETHER THEY HAD FLOWN TO BULLHEAD CITY, WITH A RESTROOM STOP AT DAGGETT, CALIFORNIA. AT BULLHEAD CITY, THEY ADDED 10 GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE RENTAL OPERATOR, THE PILOTS HAD CALLED ABOUT AND INSTRUMENT PRESSURE PROBLEM. THEY HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED VACUUM PUMP WITH PLACARDING OF THE GYRO INSTRUMENTS AS INOPERATIVE. THE OPERATOR HAD ADVISED THE PILOTS TO LEAVE THE A IRPLANE AND RENT A CAR TO DRIVE HOME. THE OPERATING PILOT STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS STILL IN THE MID-RANGE AND THE RIGHT WAS ON EMPTY. HE ESTIMATED THE TOTAL FLIGHT TIME FROM PACOIMA TO BULLHEAD CITY AND BACK WAS ABOUT 5:15 HOURS. HE THOUGHT THAT THEY USED 6 OR 7 GALLONS PER HOUR AS A FUEL BURN RATE. ACCORDING TO FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ON-SCENE, THE PILOT COMMMENTED TO THEM THAT THEY MAY HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE OUT OF FUEL. (-23) PILOTS WERE DISTRACTED BY AN INSTRUMENT PRESSURE PROBLEM APPARENTLY CAUSED BY A FAILED VACUUM PUMP, WHICH RENDERED THE GYRO INSTRUMENT INOPERATIVE. THE PILOTS PLACARDED THESE INSTRUMENTS AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE MINIMUM INSTRUMENTS FOR VFR FLIGHT IN VFR CONDITIONS. THEY HAD CAREFULLY CALCULATED THEIR FUEL BURN, BUT SOME ADDITIONAL FLIGHT AND TAXI TIME DUT TO THIS DISTRACTION RESULTED IN THEIR OVERFLYING THEIR FUEL RESERVES. BOTH PILOTS WERE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED AND THEIR FLIGHT PLANNING WAS THOROUGH, HOWEVER THE FLIGHT DID NOT GO AS PLANNED.PILOTS WERE COUNSELED ON FLIGHT PLANNI NG, FUEL CONTINGENCY PLANNING, IF FLIGHT TIMES CHANGE, AND INFLIGHT DECISION MAKING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.