Event WPR20LA117

Factual narrative

On April 4, 2020, about 1900 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, N98SW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Santa Paula Airport (SZP), Santa Paula, California. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he had planned an approximate 30-minute flight to maintain currency in the accident airplane, which was his personal airplane that he had not flown in several months. He performed a preflight inspection, during which time he observed a total fuel quantity of about 10 gallons, evenly balanced between the left- and right-wing fuel tanks. The pilot observed that the fuel gauges indicated "just above empty," and did not look inside the fuel tanks to visually confirm the fuel level. He then sumped the fuel tanks and discovered that the right fuel tank contained some water, but he eventually observed water-free fuel samples after he sumped the right wing about three times. The pilot started the airplane and taxied to runway 22 where he performed an engine run-up and did not observe any anomalies. During the initial climb on his fourth touch and go maneuver, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power as the airplane reached about 100 ft above ground level. He immediately began a left turn with the intention of landing on runway 04. The engine momentarily regained power multiple times during the descent as the nose of the airplane dropped, but the pilot was unable to successfully restore and maintain engine power. The airplane impacted a dry riverbed and came to rest upright in an area of dense vegetation. Postaccident photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration showed substantial damage to the stabilator. Recovery personnel reported no evidence of a fuel spill and that neither fuel tank was breached. After the airplane was recovered, the recovery team drained about 2 gallons of fuel from the right wing and noted that the left wing was devoid of fuel. The fuel strainer was free of debris and contained a few ounces of uncontaminated fuel. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunctions or anomalies. The engine was subsequently test run, during which time it sounded smooth and continuous through various power settings. The pilot planned to fly in the airport traffic pattern for about 30 minutes to maintain currency in his airplane, which he had not flown or refueled in several months. He used the fuel gauges to determine his fuel quantity, which he estimated to be about 10 gallons. The pilot did not look inside the fuel tanks to verify the fuel quantity; however, he did sump the tanks, which took three attempts before he observed water-free fuel samples. He did not observe any anomalies during the engine runup, after takeoff, or during the first three rounds in the airport traffic pattern. During the initial climb following his fourth touch-and-go maneuver, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power at 100 ft above ground level. The pilot was unable to restore engine power during the descent, and the airplane impacted a dry riverbed and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator. The fuel tanks were not breached, there were no obstructions in the fuel strainer, and no evidence of water contamination in the fuel system. About 2 gallons of fuel was recovered from the right wing tank, and the left wing tank was empty. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a preexisting malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, and a test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. The pilot did not check the fuel tanks before the flight to validate the fuel quantity indicated by the fuel gauges. As one fuel tank was devoid of fuel and the other fuel tank was nearly empty, he likely departed with an insufficient fuel level for the short flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C