Cessna 305A accident near San Diego, California, August 31, 1996
On August 31, 1996 at about 9:28 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5277G, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Diego, California. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's improper preflight planning, and an inadequate fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1996 · about 9:28 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5277G · registry record · serial 22134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while towing a banner he experienced a total loss of engine power. At the time, he had operated the airplane for about 3:08 hours since being refueled. The pilot made a forced landing on a hillside's rough terrain. The airplane held about 37.8 gallons of usable fuel, and its burn off rate was approximately 10.5 gallons per hour. No fuel was found in the airplane's tanks during the postaccident examination.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,157 hours in all; 1,212 in this make and model; 154 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 16,290 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 1996; 163 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Ads, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SEE CA at 6:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.