- Date
- May 25, 1990, 10:46 local (17:46 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8474DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900525017719A
- Case key
- 26821
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
Fuel starvation due to the pilot's improper fuel management technique. A factor was the improperly modified fuel selector valve.
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 stated he departed with 35 gallons of fuel. Flew for one hour and fifteen minutes during which time he flew half and half on the tanks. He stated he departed and landed on the left tank. Post crash examination of the fuel system noted 15 gallons in the right tank and 1/4 gallon in the left tank. Also noted was a field fabricated secondary pointer on the fuel selector. This pointer would not consistently index with the stock imperial valve pointer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8474D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6179
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Jefe Voladores, Inc.
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,583 total · 105 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- ATCT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.