What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 01/20/2004 dennis g. midden flew CE-172-P from oakland, CA, (oak) with a destination of john wayne airport (sna). Before departing oak Mr. Midden added fuel to about 3" below the filler rock. He said the fuel gages read nearly full. After taking off from oak he toured the city before heading south. North of valencia, CA, at 6500' the engine started to run rough. He descended and attempted a precautionary landing. The engine caught and he climbed up to 2500 or 3000' and headed south for vny. He was cleared to land on 16R at vny, but about 6 miles short of vny the engine lost power again and he landed at a soccer field in Granada Hills, CA. On landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing from a cyclone fence and the right horizontal stabilizer sustained major damage from impacting a large cement-filled metal post. The investigation showed empty wing fuel tanks, although the fuel gages read 7 gallons in the left and 5 gallons in the right tank. Less than a quart of fuel was drained from the rest of the aircraft when it was disassembled for removal from the site. At the vny FSDO Mr. Midden was asked whether he ran out of gas. "I think so" was his reply.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 01/20/2004 DENNIS G. MIDDEN FLEW CE-172-P FROM OAKLAND, CA, (OAK) WITH A DESTINATION OF JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT (SNA). BEFORE DEPARTING OAK MR. MIDDEN ADDED FUEL TO ABOUT 3" BELOW THE FILLER ROCK. HE SAID THE FUEL GAGES READ NEARLY FULL. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM OAK HE TOURED THE CITY BEFORE HEADING SOUTH. NORTH OF VALENCIA, CA, AT 6500' THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. HE DESCENDED AND ATTEMPTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE ENGINE CAUGHT AND HE CLIMBED UP TO 2500 OR 3000' AND HEADED SOUTH FOR VNY. HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON 16R AT VNY, BUT ABOUT 6 MILES SHORT OF VNY THE ENGINE LOST POWER AGAIN AND HE LANDED AT A SOCCER FIELD IN GRANADA HILLS, CA. ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING FROM A CYCLONE FENCE AND THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE FROM IMPACTING A LARGE CEMENT-FILLED METAL POST. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED EMPTY WING FUEL TANKS, ALTHOUGH THE FUEL GAGES READ 7 GALLONS IN THE LEFT AND 5 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK. LESS THAN A QUART OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT WAS DISASSEMBLED FOR REMOVAL FROM THE SITE. AT THE VNY FSDO MR. MIDDEN WAS ASKED WHETHER HE RAN OUT OF GAS. "I THINK SO" WAS HIS REPLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5364K · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.