Commonwealth 185 N92827
17 June 1989 · Sacramento, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 June 1989 at about 23:43 local time, a Commonwealth 185 registered N92827, operated by Brostrom, Bruce O., was involved in an accident near Sacramento, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sacramento, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sacramento Exec. (SAC)
- Coordinates
- 38.5103, -121.4901
- Aircraft
- Commonwealth 185
- Registration
- N92827
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Brostrom, Bruce O.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Columbia → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX89LA220
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE FUEL LOAD PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED FUEL EXHAUSTION DURING CRUISE ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE INTENDED DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE PILOT LANDED ON A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH A FENCE. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD 'NEVER BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETELY TRUST THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS,' AND, THAT VISUAL CHECKS OF THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT ACCURATE DUE TO THE GROUND ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE USED A SYSTEM OF FUEL USAGE CALCULATION VERSUS AMOUNT OF FUEL LOADED ONBOARD TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANKS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT USED A FUEL DIP STICK DEVICE TO QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANKS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Commonwealth 185 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 1987 | Commonwealth 185 | St. Petersburg, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 12 Jul 1991 | Commonwealth 185 | Toledo, Washington, United States | Arthur T. Biehl | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1998 | Commonwealth 185 | Oregon, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2007 | Commonwealth 185 | Redlands, California, United States | Robert Lee Graham | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 May 2008 | Commonwealth 185 | Roanoke, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2013 | Commonwealth 185 | Burlington, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-31-350 | Ontario, California, United States | Ameriflight | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 1989 | Cessna 310K | Ojai, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Sep 1989 | Cessna 182 | Eureka, California, United States | Nothern Air | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1989 | Cessna 152 | Lancaster, California, United States | West Coast Air Center | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Sep 1989 | Bellanca 17-30A | Palo Alto, California, United States | Klouda, Linda K. | Minor injuries | - |