- Date
- November 12, 1989, 16:04 local (Nov 13, 1989, 00:04 UTC)
- Place
- North Hollywood, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N46JWCessna 210
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891112048539A
- Case key
- 26683
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion from an inadequate supply of fuel. Factors related to the accident were: false fuel gage indications, lack of a suitable area for a forced landing, and obstructions (utility pole & vehicle(s) in the emergency landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt estd there was 16 gal of usable fuel on board when he depd lancaster for burbank, CA. As he was apchg burbank to land, the eng lost power. Unable to reach the arpt, he tried to find a roadway or street that was not occupied with vehicles. Just before touchdown, the acft hit a utility pole, then dropped to the surface & slid into a vehicle. Less than 2 gal of fuel was found remaining in the acft after the acdnt. The plt rprtd no mechanical malfunction or failure with the acft, but suggested that with better fuel gages, the acdnt might have been avoided.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46JW
- Reported as
- Cessna 210
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 57552
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-E, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert L. Gaugenmaier
- Departed
- WJF · Lancaster, CA
- Destination
- BUR · Burbank, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 148 total · 29 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.