Cessna 152 accident near Oceanside, California, June 17, 1991
On June 17, 1991, a Cessna 152, registered N747CM, was destroyed in an accident near Oceanside, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1991
- Place
- Oceanside, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N747CM · registry record · serial 15281239
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTURE FROM SAN CARLOS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, THE PILOT FLEW NON-STOP TO THE AIRPORT ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, WHICH IS 22 MILES OFF SHORE TO THE SOUTH OF THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. THE AIR MILE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAN CARLOS AND SANTA CATALINA WAS MEASURED AT ABOUT 340 NAUTICAL MILES. THE PILOT THOUGHT HE COULD OBTAIN FUEL AT SANTA CATALINA, HOWEVER, THE AIRPORT FACILITY DIRECTORY NOTES THAT FUEL IS UNAVAILABLE AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT DEPARTED SANTA CATALINA AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA, THE FLIGHT'S ULTIMATE DESTINATION. THE STRAIGHT LINE DISTANCE FROM SANTA CATALINA ISLAND TO OCEANSIDE WAS MEASURED AT 58 NAUTICAL MILES, ENTIRELY OVER WATER. THE DISTANCE FROM THE ISLAND TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN WAS MEASURED AT 26 NAUTICAL MILES.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: SXC Catalina Island CA at 11:40 pm
- Destination: CRQ Palomar CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:46 pm from CRQ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX91LA262.