- Date
- June 27, 2026, 12:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N501CRBellanca 17-30A
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA - Van Nuys FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260627008459A
- Case key
- 203288
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 improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after flying most of the cross-country flight with the fuel selector set to the right fuel tank, he entered an extended downwind for landing at the destination airport. Just before turning base, the right fuel tank became empty and the engine stopped. He immediately turned the fuel selector to the left tank and attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He reported hearing the stall warning horn before the airplane “dropped out from under” him and impacted a dry riverbed, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that his improper fuel management resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. He further remarked that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N501CR
- Reported as
- Bellanca 17-30A (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 73-30607
- Built
- 1973
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 2025
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Airport
- KSZP · Santa Paula
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 9, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 519 total · 267 in this make and model · 454 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KCMA, 9 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI KCMA 271950Z 22007G14KT 10SM BKN029 BKN034 BKN042 22/14 A2996 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.