Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sylmar, California 91342
Saturday, May 18, 1996 10:42 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the student pilot, before commencement of her first solo cross-country flight, she had performed a preflight inspection during which time she believed that at least 18 gallons of fuel were onboard. After takeoff, the pilot flew to the Mojave Airport where she performed two takeoffs and landings. Thereafter, the pilot climbed to 6,500 feet mean sea level and proceeded toward Burbank. Approximately 5 minutes before all engine power was lost, the fuel gauges indicated about 1/4 full. The pilot made a forced landing and collided with power lines and rough terrain. At the time, the student's total pilot-in-command flying experience was 5.3 hours. The operator reported that records indicated during the 3 days which preceded the accident flight, the airplane had been flown for 2.3 tachometer hours and thereafter, had not been refueled. The accident flight lasted about 1.5 tachometer hours. Cessna performance data indicated that with a lean mixture at 75 percent engine power, the fuel consumption rate would be about 6.1 gallons per hour. At this rate, fuel exhaustion could occur after about 4.0 hours of engine operation or less time if the mixture was not leaned, or if the 24.5 gallon usable capacity tanks were less than full.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
fuel exhaustion due to the inexperienced student pilot's inadequately performed preflight inspection and her failure to refuel prior to takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1042 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SYLMAR |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91342 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 690 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 18 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1137 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N69180 |
| NTSB Number | LAX96LA197 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 152 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 152 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15282532 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 30 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 5578 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RUBEN PIRANIAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 17310 FIRMA CT. |
| Aircraft Owner City | GRANDA HILLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91344 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BURBANK FLYING CLUB |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3000 N. CLYBOURN AVE. |
| Operator City | BURBANK |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91505 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BUR |
| Departure City | BURBANK |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 904 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BUR |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |