What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed compton woodley airport (cpm) with full fuel load in the wings 18 gallons each wing 36 gallons total. Few approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes performing banner towing operations without changing fuel tanks. Engine quit and the aircraft was ditched in the pacific ocean about 50 feet from the shore. The pilot and aircraft were recovered to the shore by citizens on the Beach. Inspection privacy data omitted from the lax fsfo and recover personnel examined both fuel tanks from the filler ports. The left wing fuel tank show a small amount of gas in the bottom. The right wing tank was found to be fullup to the neck of the filler port. After removal of the drain valve the inspector privacy data omitted recovered 1 gallon of 100 octane aviation gasoline from the left fuel tank. The entire contents of the left wing were placed in a 1 gallon re-sealable container and brought back to the lax FSDO. After draining the fuel from the left wing, the fuel selector valve was selected to the right wing position and a fuel sample was taken from the gascolator located on the lower firewall. Approximately 8OZ of fuel and no contaminants were found in the fuel sample.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED COMPTON WOODLEY AIRPORT (CPM) WITH FULL FUEL LOAD IN THE WINGS 18 GALLONS EACH WING 36 GALLONS TOTAL. FEW APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES PERFORMING BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS WITHOUT CHANGING FUEL TANKS. ENGINE QUIT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DITCHED IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN ABOUT 50 FEET FROM THE SHORE. THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT WERE RECOVERED TO THE SHORE BY CITIZENS ON THE BEACH. INSPECTION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE LAX FSFO AND RECOVER PERSONNEL EXAMINED BOTH FUEL TANKS FROM THE FILLER PORTS. THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK SHOW A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE BOTTOM. THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS FOUND TO BE FULLUP TO THE NECK OF THE FILLER PORT. AFTER REMOVAL OF THE DRAIN VALVE THE INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECOVERED 1 GALLON OF 100 OCTANE AVIATION GASOLINE FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE LEFT WING WERE PLACED IN A 1 GALLON RE-SEALABLE CONTAINER AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE LAX FSDO. AFTER DRAINING THE FUEL FROM THE LEFT WING, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS SELECTED TO THE RIGHT WING POSITION AND A FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN FROM THE GASCOLATOR LOCATED ON THE LOWER FIREWALL. APPROXIMATELY 8OZ OF FUEL AND NO CONTAMINANTS WERE FOUND IN THE FUEL SAMPLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.