# NTSB LAX95LA231: Cessna 150G, N3421J, Riverdale, CA, June 30, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 30, 1995, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: Riverdale, CA - Coordinates: 36.289539, -119.819847 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2895&lon=-119.8198&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 19, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29132 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX95LA231 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29132/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95LA231 ## Probable cause Fuel exhaustion due to the student pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and his failure to refuel the aircraft en route. A factor in the accident was inadequate supervision of the student by the flying club and the student's flight instructor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - supervision - inadequate, flight instructor(on ground) (contributing factor) - procedures/directives - inadequate, company/operator management (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - fence post - object - vehicle ## Analysis AT THE COMPLETION OF A STUDENT SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY WHILE TURNING TO LEMOORE NAVAL AIRSTATION AT 1000 FEET MSL, THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT LANDED IN A DIRT FIELD, AND VEERED LEFT WHILE ROLLING OUT TO AVOID A TRACTOR. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STEEL FENCE POST AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THREE GALLONS OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN BOTH WING FUEL TANKS IN THE AIRCRAFT'S RESTING POSITION. THE TOTAL UNUSABLE FUEL IS 1.5 GALS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS FLIGHT ITINERARY WAS FROM NAS LEMOORE TO HANFORD, THEN TO PASO ROBLES WITH A FINAL LEG BACK TO NAS LEMOORE. HE REPORTED THAT DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT NAS LEMOORE, THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS FILLED TO THE TABS, WHILE THE LEFT TANK 'WAS A LITTLE BIT UNDER.' THE PILOT DID NOT USE A DIPSTICK OR OTHER QUANTIFYING DEVICE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT QUANTITY. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT REFUEL IN PASO ROBLES. ## Factual narrative On June 30, 1995, at 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150G, N3421J, struck a parked tractor with its left wing during a forced landing near Riverdale, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of power during cruise. The aircraft was owned and operated by the Lemoore Navy Flying Club, Lemoore, California, and was rented by the pilot for a solo cross-country instructional flight. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The student pilot was not injured. The flight, which departed from Paso Robles, California, was en route to NAS Lemoore (NLC) Airport, on the return leg of a cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The student stated that his flight itinerary for the solo cross- country was from NAS Lemoore to Hanford, then to Paso Robles with a final leg back to NAS Lemoore. He reported that during his preflight inspection of the aircraft at NAS Lemoore the right wing fuel tank was filled to the tabs, while the left tank "was a little bit under." The pilot did not use a dipstick or other quantifying device to determine the exact quantity. The student pilot stated that he did not refuel in Paso Robles. According to the pilot's written statement, while turning inbound to NLC at 1000 feet msl, the "engine stopped." The student pilot trimmed the airplane for 70 knots and searched for a place to make a forced landing. The student pilot landed in a graded dirt field next to a cattle feed lot. He was forced to veer to the right in order to avoid a tractor. The left wing hit a steel fence post, ripping off the left aileron and wing tip. The right wing tip hit the ground and the propeller struck a fence post. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported. The operator stated in a telephone conversation that 3 gallons of fuel were found in both wing fuel tanks in the aircraft's resting position during recovery. The total unusable fuel quantity in the Cessna 150 is 1.5 gallons. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3421J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3421J), registered now, S/N 15066121 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150G - Registry model: [Cessna 150G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150g) (registry code 2071816) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15066121 - Airframe hours: 3066 - Engines: CONTINENTAL O-200A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Lemoore Navy Flying Club - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 4, 1995, 98 hours before - Departed: PRB, PASO ROBLES, CA - Destination: NLC, LEMOORE NAS, CA - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 30 total, 28 in this make and model, 11 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 8 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 93 °F, dew point 61 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950630019929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950630019929A), Jun 30, 1995: Cessna 150G, Riverdale, CA, Substantial damage. Lost power inbound to nlc on cross country. Struck fence post landing off airport. No useable fuel onboard. ## Other investigations on N3421J (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX70FUA31](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX70FUA31), Jun 30, 1970: Cessna 150 (N3421J), Long Beach, CA, substantial damage - [NTSB OAK69F0293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK69F0293), Mar 18, 1969: Cessna 150G (N3421J), N Las Vegas, NV, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.