- Date
- May 22, 1997, 15:31 local (22:31 UTC)
- Place
- Lamont, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6495ACessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970522040409A
- Case key
- 29796
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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate fuel for the flight.
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 and passenger were repositioning the airplane from Arizona to Washington with a planned en route fuel stop. The airplane ran out of fuel about 6 miles short of the fuel stop. The airplane nosed over during a landing in an open field. Neither the pilot nor the operator filed a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report.
Factual narrative
On May 22, 1997, about 1531 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182, N6495A, operated by Human Flight Inc. of Snohomish, Washington, was substantially damaged during an emergency landing near Lamont, California. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight and no flight plan was filed.
The flight departed Buckeye, Arizona, and was destined for Snohomish with an en-route fueling stop at Bakersfield, California. About 6 miles southeast of Bakersfield the aircraft lost engine power. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in an open field and nosed over.
According to an Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane ran out of fuel about 6 miles short of the planned fueling stop.
Neither the pilot nor the operator filed a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, form 6120.1/2. Incomplete logbook records were obtained from the operator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6495A
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33295
- Airframe hours
- 4,139
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Human Flight Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 17, 1996
- Departed
- BXK · Buckeye, AZ
- Destination
- BFL · Bakersfield, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KBF, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.