- Date
- May 19, 1990, 08:35 local (15:35 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ynez, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3157FCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900519016879A
- Case key
- 26809
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's failure to properly preflight the aircraft and secure the fuel system caps which resulted in fuel siphoning and loss of engine power.
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 aircraft had been refueled with the 20 gallons of fuel immediatley prior to the flight. About one hour into the 1.5 hour personal cross country flight the engine quit. The pilot stated when the engine quit the left tank indicated 3/4 full and the right tank 1/8. The aircraft landed in a grape vineyard and flipped over. Post accident investigation disclosed heavy fuel stains from both fuel caps aft on top of the wing surfaces and horizontal stabilizers. The fuel tanks appeared to be empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3157F
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18257257
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William Honaker
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- LO5 · Kernville, CA
- Destination
- 1ZA · Santa Ynez, CA
- Airport
- IZA · Santa Ynez, runway 26, 2,804 × 75 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 875 total · 185 in this make and model · 769 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.
Other investigations on N3157F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.