Cessna 182A N4924D

Summary

On 12 October 1996 at about 19:40 local time, a Cessna 182A registered N4924D, operated by Leonard Marr, was involved in an accident near Agua Dulce, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 October 1996 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Agua Dulce, California, United States

Nearest airport

Agua Dulce

Coordinates

34.4309, -118.5096

Aircraft

Cessna 182A

Registration

N4924D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Leonard Marr

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilton → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA015

4 people had minor injuries.

inadequate compliance with the applicable airworthiness directive by other maintenance personnel, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which resulted in fuel exhaustion from a deteriorated fuel cap seal.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot experience a total loss of power when beginning a descent. He reported that the fuel analyzer gauge showed that 1.5 hours of fuel was remaining, but the fuel quantity gauges were erratic. The pilot received radar vectors toward an airport, but he was unable to see it and elected to land on a road. Examination of the wreckage disclosed that there was about 1 gallon of fuel in the fuel system. The fuel tanks were not compromised. The upper surface of the left wing disclosed numerous orange/brownish streaks aft of the fuel cap. The right wing did not display any fuel streaking aft of the fuel cap. The left wing fuel tank was pressurized with water and water leaked from the cap. The right wing fuel cap was put on the left wing fuel tank. Water did not leak from the tank with the right wing fuel cap installed. The left wing fuel cap seal was brittle. Examination of the engine logbooks disclosed that the applicable airworthiness directive for the fuel cap was complied with about 33 hours before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.