Cessna 172P accident near Raymond, California, February 17, 1996
On February 17, 1996 at about 1:40 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53115, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raymond, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to verify the quantity of fuel onboard the aircraft prior to departure, which 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
- February 17, 1996 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Raymond, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53115 · no longer on the register · serial 17274687
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the aircraft was en route over low rolling foothills when the engine quit. The aircraft firewall and nose gear was damaged during the forced landing on a road. Examination of the aircraft by a A&P mechanic revealed that the fuel system was intact. Only residual fuel was found in the fuel tanks. Following recovery of the aircraft, the engine was started using the airframe systems; it accelerated to power smoothly with normal magneto drops observed. The pilot stated the aircraft is rented full of fuel by the FBO and during the preflight inspection put her fingers in the filler port and felt fuel at a level about 1 inch below the top of the filler neck. The pilot noted that the fuel gages in this aircraft historically read something less than full when the tanks are filled and the gage reading on start of between 3/4 and full seemed normal. Cessna Aircraft reported that the tanks must be filled to the top of the filler neck to obtain a 20 gallon usable fuel level. A fuel level at the bottom of the filler neck equals 18 usable gallons and each inch in fuel level below that is equal to about 2 gallons of fuel. The difference between the takeoff time and the accident is 3 hours 22 minutes according to FAA ATC communication tapes. The Safety Board calculated the expected fuel usage using both the aircraft performance charts in the Cessna POH, and specific fuel flow figures provided by Lycoming for an engine operated at full rich condition. With the stated allowances for engine start, taxi and takeoff, the Safety Board calculated that 28.4 gallons of fuel would be used when the engine was leaned and the aircraft flown according to the manual. In the full rich condition, 33.4 gallons of fuel would be required.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,946 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 1995; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Royal Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 10:17 pm
- Destination: O68 Mariposa CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.