Taylorcraft DC-65 accident near Morgan Hill, California, August 12, 1990
On August 12, 1990 at about 6:34 pm local time, a Taylorcraft DC-65, registered N67755, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morgan Hill, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION, DUE THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS IMPROPER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1990 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Morgan Hill, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DC-65 · all DC-65s on the register
- Registration
- N67755 · registry record · serial 6023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED HE OBSERVED TWO THIRDS FUEL REMAINING ON THE FUEL TANK SIGHT GAUGES BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR A DUAL PERIOD. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED SHE SAW NO FUEL INDICATION ON THE SIGHT GAUGES AND SO STATED TO THE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE DEPARTURE. NO FURTHER MENTION OF FUEL WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED AFTER FUEL EXHAUSTION.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,874 hours in all; 184 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 11,744 as pilot in command; 6,252 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65/8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RHV San Jose CA at 5:35 pm
- Destination: RHV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 002° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX90LA285.