Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Huntington Bch, California 92647
Monday, July 19, 1999 19:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated he used a dipstick during preflight, which was graduated in four equal increments, but not calibrated for this airplane. Based upon the mark on the dipstick, he determined the tanks were slightly over 1/3 of capacity and estimated he had 13 to 14 gallons of fuel aboard. He estimated 9 gallons would be needed for the flight. During a subsequent interview, the pilot told a FAA inspector the airplane had a 38-gallon fuel capacity. The Type Certificate Data Sheet specifies 26 gallons total fuel capacity with 22.5 gallons useable. Standard tanks were found on the airplane during postaccident inspection. After departure the pilot flew a total of 1.5 hours, completing one takeoff and landing and three practice instrument approaches. On radar vectors for the ILS final approach course at Long Beach, the engine sputtered, then quit. The pilot attempted a forced landing on a city street and collided with multiple obstacles. Recovery personnel reported draining 2 pints of fuel from the left fuel tank and no fuel from the right tank. Following recovery, the engine was started in the airframe and successfully test run.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to ensure that adequate fuel was on board to complete the flight. The pilot's basic lack of knowledge of the airplane's fuel capacity was a factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/19/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1940 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | HUNTINGTON BCH |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92647 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1956 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 125 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 57 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | 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) | 1707 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 19 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2005 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 14 2001 2:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N60169 |
| NTSB Number | LAX99LA255 |
| 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 | 150J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15070120 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 13 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 59 |
| Airframe Hours | 4560 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RONALD C. CALKINS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8975 LA DONA CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | FOUNTAIN VALLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92708 |
| 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 | AJO |
| Departure City | CORONA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LGB |
| Destination City | LONG BEACH |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 14 2001 10:25AM |
| 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 | -- |