NTSB LAX87LA177 — 1987-04-14 · SANTA MARIA, California, United States

N2225C has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22, built 2025), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N2225C Cessna T303 None

Factual narrative

A CESSNA T303 COLLIDED W THE LOC ANTENNA AFT A TOTAL LOSS OF PWR IN BOTH ENGS WHILE ON FINAL APP TO RWY 30. THE PLT INDICATED THAT THE ENGS FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FLT MADE 5 STOPS TO PICK-UP AND DROP OFF CARGO AND IS NORMALLY FLOWN DAILY BY DIFFERENT PLTS. THE ACFT IS NOT REFUELED AT THE DEPT POINT WHERE IT IS BASED BUT RATHER AT AN INTERMEDIATE STOP. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCEDURE, THE ACFT IS NOT FULLY FUELED PRIOR TO THE DAYS FLT AND THE FUEL LEVEL CAN ONLY BE ESTIMATED BY VISUAL INSPECTION DURING PREFLT. THE PLT HAD QUESTIONED THE CHIEF PLT ABT THE PROCEDURE AND THE FUEL LEVEL 2 WEEKS PRIOR AND WAS TOLD IT WAS 'OK'. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED THE PRECEEDING DAY AT THE INTERMEDIATE STOP. THE PLT STATED THAT AFT LOWERING THE GEAR ON FINAL APP, THE ACFT LOST 150 TO 200 FEET AND COLLIDED W THE ANTENNA. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_LAX87LA177.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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