Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fresno, California 93722
Thursday, April 20, 2000 20:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During a solo instructional flight, the student pilot's airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot made a forced landing in a parking lot and collided with a trailer. The student pilot, whose flight experience consisted of a total of 28 hours, of which 4 hours were as pilot-in-command, initiated the planned 1-hour-long local area flight that was supposed to be performed within a 25-mile radius of the departure airport, as authorized by his flight instructor. The student became disoriented and confused regarding his direction of flight and began flying east instead of west. Upon flying for 3.25 hours, and traveling about 117 miles east of the departure airport, fuel exhaustion occurred.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Fuel exhaustion during cruise flight due to the student pilot becoming disoriented and lost.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/20/2000
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2000
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City FRESNO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93722
Event Date Year 2000
Event Date Month 4
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2156 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 275
Weather Observation Facility ID FAT
Elevation of weather observation facility 333
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
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) 65
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 49
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
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) 10624
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Apr 20 2000 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2302
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Oct 2 2001 8:45AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N152SC
NTSB Number LAX00LA165
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 152
Aircraft Series Identifier 152
Aircraft Serial Number 15280265
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 45
Airframe Hours 9810
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FLYING VIKING, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21587 SKYWEST DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City HAYWARD
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94541
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HWD
Departure City HAYWARD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1645
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 12 2001 4:01AM
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 --