Los Banos Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Banos, California 93635
Saturday, April 22, 1995 17:58 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER IN THE PATTERN, LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND COLLIDED WITH A WALL. THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM WAS NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE FOUND. ABOUT 4 GALLONS OF 80/87 OCTANE AVIATION GASOLINE WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. THE FUSELAGE TANK AND THE RIGHT WING TANK WERE EMPTY. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE CARBURETOR. THERE WAS A TRACE OF FUEL FOUND IN THE ENGINE PRIMER SYSTEM. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE CESSNA 180 LISTS THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE WING BLADDER TANKS AS 32.5 GALLONS, OF WHICH 27.5 GALLONS ARE USABLE. AN ADDITIONAL 3.5 GALLONS OF THE 5 GALLONS UNUSABLE CAN BE USED 'FOR LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY.' THE FUEL TANKS HAVE OUTLET PORTS IN THE REAR INBOARD CORNER ONLY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/22/1995
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1758
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LOS BANOS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93635
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LOS BANOS MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LSN
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 119
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1858 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 338
Weather Observation Facility ID MOD
Elevation of weather observation facility 97
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 34
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 407
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 22 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1910
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4928A
NTSB Number LAX95LA170
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 180
Aircraft Series Identifier 180
Aircraft Serial Number 32325
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 8 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 3451
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MARVIN H. WOLLF
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1220 PATLEN DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City LOS ALTOS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94024
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MIT
Departure City SHAFTER
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1910
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code LSN
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 32
Runway Length 3005
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --