- Date
- May 17, 1990, 21:09 local (May 18, 1990, 04:09 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3709DCessna 182A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 26842
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 exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning.
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 had been handed off to Fresno tower from approach control, and he had been requested to extend his downwind to land behind a Cessna conquest. Shortly thereafter, he stated 'I just ran out of fuel. Don't think I can make the runway.' The pilot stated he had 4 hours of fuel on board for the 3.5 hour trip. He also stated he visually checked the fuel prior to departing for Fresno, but did not use a measuring device.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3709D
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34409
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kurtice W. Gruteguth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- FAT · Fresno, CA
- Airport
- FAT · Fresno, runway 29L, 3,902 × 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 115 in this make and model · 143 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 1 nm away