NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX89LA193
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
INADEQUATE IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT. FACTORS WERE THE PRIVATE PILOT DID NOT SWITCH THE FUEL TANKS AND THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT CATCH IT.
Factual narrative
ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT, THE DUAL STUDENT WAS A PRIVATE PILOT WITH SINGLE AND MULTIENGINE AND INSTRUMENT RATINGS. THIS WAS TO BE A STANDARD CHECKOUT IN THE CESSNA 210 AIRPLANE. AFTER ALMOST AND HOUR OF AIRWORK, INCLUDING THREE LANDINGS TO FULL STOP AT ANOTHER AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE HOME TRAFFIC PATTERN WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PRIVATE DUAL STUDENT DID NOT REACT AND APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET WERE LOST BEFORE THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. AT THAT POINT THE ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE TO THE RUNWAY WAS CRITICAL BUT THE INSTRUCTOR MADE THE AIRPORT BUT IMPACTED IN A NOSE-DOWN, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED REARWARD AND WAS IMBEDDED WITHIN THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE TURNED TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND THAT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS. DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, A BEECH 19, N6553R, THAT WAS TIED DOWN AND WAS UNOCCUPIED, WAS STRUCK BY THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_LAX89LA193.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
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