- Date
- November 11, 1990, 14:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Dana Point, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N30438Cessna 177A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901111049669A
- Case key
- 27057
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations.
Analysis
The pilot negotiated three takeoffs and landings without refueling. He indicated that the flight time before departing on the accident flight leg was 3.4 hours. At the time of the accident he had flown about 4.1 hours. About 35 minutes after departing on the last leg of the flight the airplane sustained a total engine power loss. During the ensuing emergency landing the airplane struck a palm tree and crashed. The pilot told rescue personnel that the airplane ran out of gas. The wreckage examination disclosed no evidence of any fuel in the tanks or fuel spillage. The pilot failed to account for the additional fuel consumption used while executing takeoffs and landings.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30438
- Reported as
- Cessna 177A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1770-1254
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A24, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Giles, Wilma
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- SNA · John Wayne
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 848 total · 63 in this make and model · 794 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 4 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.