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Atlas / NTSB / LAX91LA027

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event LAX91LA027

1990-11-11 DANA POINT, California, United States Airport · SNA Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N30438

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

QUAD CITY ULTRALIGHT ACFT CORP CHALLENGER II

Year of manufacture

2003

Engine

ROTAX 503 DCDI (52 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20070831

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A33110

Registrant of record

GOSSETT DANIEL D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT NEGOTIATED THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WITHOUT REFUELING. HE INDICATED THAT THE FLIGHT TIME BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT LEG WAS 3.4 HOURS. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 4.1 HOURS. ABOUT 35 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLIGHT THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A TOTAL ENGINE POWER LOSS. DURING THE ENSUING EMERGENCY LANDING THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A PALM TREE AND CRASHED. THE PILOT TOLD RESCUE PERSONNEL THAT THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF GAS. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY FUEL IN THE TANKS OR FUEL SPILLAGE. THE PILOT FAILED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUEL CONSUMPTION USED WHILE EXECUTING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX91LA027.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.