Event LAX94LA348

Factual narrative

On September 2, 1994, at 2200 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182, N5449B, lost engine power and collided with a telephone pole during an approach to landing near Orland, California. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, owned by Leonard W. Kunz, Yakima, Washington, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the other passenger/owner sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at Yakima Airport, Yakima, Washington, at 1800 hours. The pilot reported that while on a 5 1/2-mile final approach to runway 33, he made a left banking turn to align the airplane with the runway centerline. He said he had previously positioned the fuel selector valve to the left tank and did not place the fuel selector in the both position. The pilot said that this maneuver caused the fuel to unport and "suck" air that caused the engine to experience fuel starvation. After the engine lost power, the pilot immediately repositioned the fuel selector valve to the both tanks position, but without success. The pilot was unable to restart the engine. The airplane's altitude was insufficient to make the airport and the pilot elected to land on a highway. During the landing flare, the airplane's wing struck a telephone pole. THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING A 4-HOUR FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MADE A LEFT BANKING TURN TO ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY POSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK POSITION AND HE SAID HE BELIEVES THE MANEUVER CAUSED THE FUEL TO UNPORT AND THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY. IT WAS A DARK NIGHT AND THE AIRPLANE'S WING STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12