NTSB LAX82DA220 — 1982-06-13 · LANCASTER, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N1580Y

Make / Model: CESSNA 172C
Year of manufacture: 1962 · 20 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR 0-300 SER (145 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19620428
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0EA56

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1580Y Cessna 172 None

Factual narrative

DURING FLIGHT, THE PILOT LANDED AT AN AIRPORT TO REFUEL. HOWEVER, THE FUEL TRUCKS WERE LOCKED UP AND NO ONE WAS AT THE UNICOM OFFICE, EVEN THOUGH, THE AIRPORT DIRECTORY INDICATED THE FIELD WAS ATTENDED AND FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE. THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT AND BELIEVED HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY FROM MOJAVE TO LANCASTER, CA. WHILE ON BASE LEG FOR LANDING AT LANCASTER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A 360 DEGREE TURN TO GET SPACING BEHIND ANOTHER PLANE. DURING THE TURN, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, A CROSSWIND LANDING WAS MADE IN A VACANT FIELD WHILE AVOIDING POWER LINES. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PLANE HIT A BUMP. WHEELBARROWED, AND FLIPPED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_LAX82DA220.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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