Cessna 195 N1097D

Summary

On 18 August 2022 at about 17:35 local time, a Cessna 195 registered N1097D was involved in an accident near El Cajon, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 2022 at 17:35

Classification

Accident

Location

El Cajon, California, United States

Nearest airport

Gillespie Fld (SEE)

Coordinates

32.8118, -116.9173

Aircraft

Cessna 195

Registration

N1097D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1951

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA308

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to verify the fuel quantity prior to departure, which led to a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had recently undergone maintenance, during which time the mechanic removed the fuel from the wings. The pilot stated that after completing the maintenance, the mechanic told him that he added the fuel back in the wings, so the pilot did not add any additional fuel. The pilot checked the quantity on the fuel gauges, but they were erroneous. He did not verify the quantity by doing a visual check of the actual fluid onboard. After departure, the engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made an off-airport landing on a freeway and the airplane came to rest adjacent to an onramp, about three miles short of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.