Cessna 180 accident near Los Banos, California, April 23, 1995
On April 23, 1995, a Cessna 180, registered N4928A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Banos, California (Los Banos Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1995
- Place
- Los Banos, California · Los Banos Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4928A · no longer on the register · serial 32325
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER IN THE PATTERN, LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND COLLIDED WITH A WALL. THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM WAS NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE FOUND. ABOUT 4 GALLONS OF 80/87 OCTANE AVIATION GASOLINE WAS DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. THE FUSELAGE TANK AND THE RIGHT WING TANK WERE EMPTY. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE CARBURETOR. THERE WAS A TRACE OF FUEL FOUND IN THE ENGINE PRIMER SYSTEM. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE CESSNA 180 LISTS THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE WING BLADDER TANKS AS 32.5 GALLONS, OF WHICH 27.5 GALLONS ARE USABLE. AN ADDITIONAL 3.5 GALLONS OF THE 5 GALLONS UNUSABLE CAN BE USED 'FOR LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY.' THE FUEL TANKS HAVE OUTLET PORTS IN THE REAR INBOARD CORNER ONLY.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,000 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,451 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1994; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIT Shafter CA at 2:10 am
- Destination: LSN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,005 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:58 am from MOD, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.