Pilot Debrief

CESSNA A185F near La Mesa, CA — 2023-07-09

Final reportWPR23LA264
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Date
2023-07-09
Location
La Mesa, CA, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA A185F
Registration
N1839R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot departed the airport to relocate the airplane to another nearby airport. The pilot calculated he would need about 5 gallons of fuel to complete the flight. The pilot stated he planned to refuel at another local airport. He stated that one month before the accident, the fuel tanks were filled. He reported that he did not visually check each tank's fuel level during his preflight, but the fuel gauges indicated there was about 16 gallons of fuel on board. About 1,700 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported that the engine had lost power during cruise flight. The engine briefly gained power for about 10 seconds before losing all power again. The pilot decided to land the airplane in a residential area and the right wing struck a powerline on landing approach and crash-landed in a parking lot. Subsequently, the airplane struck a fence and dense vegetation and came to rest in a ravine. The airplane's fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. Due to the damage sustained to the engine, an engine run was not performed. Since the pilot did not visually inspect the amount of fuel in both tanks before the accident flight, it is possible that the engine had a fuel starvation or exhaustion event due to an unreliable fuel gauge; however, the reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not visually confirm fuel levels before departure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • FDR / data
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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