Event LAX95LA170

Factual narrative

On April 22, 1995, at 1758 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180, N4928A, lost power and landed short of runway 30, colliding with a wall in Los Banos, California. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was being operated by the pilot/owner as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The airplane was examined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on April 28, 1995, at the Los Banos Municipal Airport. The airplane was found in a left wing-low attitude, resting on its belly. The airplane fuel system was not compromised during the impact sequence and there was no evidence of leakage found. The fuel selector was in the "BOTH" position. About 4 gallons of 80/87 octane aviation gasoline was drained from the left wing fuel tank. The fuselage tank and the right wing tank were found empty. There was no fuel found in the fuel line from the fuel selector to the carburetor. There was a trace of fuel found in the engine primer system. The airplane main landing gear was sheared off after the loss of power as a result of collision with the top of a brick wall. The airplane came to rest on a lawn. The local fire department was dispatched to the accident scene and stayed with the airplane until after it was transported to the airport. The plane was hoisted by lifting eyes located on the top of the cabin roof. According to local fire department officials, there was no evidence of fuel leaking at the accident scene or during transport. One firemen indicated he did not smell any aroma of fuel at the accident site. The pilot operating handbook for the Cessna 180 lists the fuel capacity of the wing bladder tanks as 32.5 gallons, each of which 27.5 gallons are usable. Of the 5 gallons unusable in each tank, 3.5 gallons can be used "for level flight only." According to the illustrated parts manual for the Cessna 180, there is a single fuel outlet supplying fuel to the fuel selector valve. The outlet is located on the inboard end of the fuel bladder aft of the fuel gauge. The fuel gauge is located midpoint between the front and aft edges of the fuel bladder. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER IN THE PATTERN, LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND COLLIDED WITH A WALL. THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM WAS NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE FOUND. ABOUT 4 GALLONS OF 80/87 OCTANE AVIATION GASOLINE WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. THE FUSELAGE TANK AND THE RIGHT WING TANK WERE EMPTY. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE CARBURETOR. THERE WAS A TRACE OF FUEL FOUND IN THE ENGINE PRIMER SYSTEM. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE CESSNA 180 LISTS THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE WING BLADDER TANKS AS 32.5 GALLONS, OF WHICH 27.5 GALLONS ARE USABLE. AN ADDITIONAL 3.5 GALLONS OF THE 5 GALLONS UNUSABLE CAN BE USED 'FOR LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY.' THE FUEL TANKS HAVE OUTLET PORTS IN THE REAR INBOARD CORNER ONLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12