- Date
- August 25, 1991, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N320SVCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910825036599A
- Case key
- 27339
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and subsequent ditching while flying over the ocean.
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 of a Cessna 152 experienced a loss of engine power at 2,500 feet MSL while enroute to Avalon, California. The pilot ditched in the ocean and the airplane sank in deep water and was not recovered. The pilot reported that his attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The airplane was refueled with 10 gallons of aviation fuel about two weeks before and was airborne about 15 minutes before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N320SV
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15282336
- Airframe hours
- 4,778
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John M. Wells
- Registered owner
- John M. Wells
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1990 · 97 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- AVX · Santa Catalina, CA
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,690 total · 2,050 in this make and model · 7,120 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.