Cessna 172 accident near Santa Rosa, California, June 6, 2008
On June 6, 2008 at about 2:05 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6494E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight decision making and inadequate fuel consumption calculations that resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2008 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Santa Rosa, California · Sonoma County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6494E · no longer on the register · serial 46594
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off with 38 gallons of fuel on board, and planned a 3-hour flight to his refueling stop. After departure he followed the wrong highway northeast. He realized his mistake, adjusted his course to intercept the correct highway, and continued on to his destination. He flew at 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) and 110 miles per hour (mph) ground speed according to his global positioning system (GPS). Winds aloft at 4,950 feet msl were from 320 degrees at 21 knots, providing a strong headwind. After 4.4 hours of flight, the airplane ran out of fuel near his refueling stop, and the pilot made a forced landing into a vineyard near the airport.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (descent) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 560 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVNY Van Nuys CA
- Destination: KFOT Fortuna CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from STS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.