Cessna 172F accident near Pomona, California, July 6, 2008
On July 6, 2008, a Cessna 172F, registered N8881U, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Pomona, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his failure to refuel the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2008
- Place
- Pomona, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8881U · no longer on the register · serial 17252799
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that when he started his cross-country flight, 2.4 hours had been flown by the airplane since the fuel tanks had been topped off. His first leg was 1.1 hours in length; he landed and spent approximately 1.5 hours on the ground. He was approximately 1.1 hours into his return flight, turning base for landing, when the engine lost power. He performed a forced landing to a large parking lot and impacted the fence on its perimeter during landing roll. The airplane's right wing lift strut was bent, and the right wing's leading edge was wrinkled and bent. No fuel was found in the airplane's fuel tanks.
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 approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 142 hours in all; 142 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE El Cajon CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: POC Pomona CA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.