- Date
- January 20, 1990, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N727GNorth American Navion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900120001449A
- Case key
- 26720
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
The pilot failed to properly preflight the airplane and departed on the accident flight with minimal fuel.
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 pilot preflighted the airplane before departing on the local VFR flight. While on the downwind leg, the engine sustained a total loss of power. The pilot was unable to land on the airport and elected to land in an open rough/uneven dirt area abt 1/2 mile north of the airport. A post-accident wreckage examination dsclsd the engine sustained fuel exhaustion. The right fuel tank contained a minimal amount of fuel; the fuselage tank was empty. The left tank fed from the right fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N727G
- Reported as
- North American Navion
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-251
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-H, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Plaster, Buddy
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- APV · Apple Valley, runway 18, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 4,481 total · 15 in this make and model · 4,481 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °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.