Cessna 190 accident near Lost Hills, California, October 10, 1998
On October 10, 1998 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 190, registered N1087D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lost Hills, California (Lost Hills airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fatigue failure of the number 4 cylinder articulating rod.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1998 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lost Hills, California · Lost Hills · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 190 · all 190s on the register
- Registration
- N1087D · no longer on the register · serial 7718
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine made a loud sound and began to run rough during cruise. The pilot felt he had lost a cylinder and headed toward the nearby Lost Hills, California, airport. As he set up for final approach the pilot noticed a truck parked at the end of the runway. Since the truck remained stationary throughout his approach, the pilot tried to add power but the engine did not respond. The pilot pulled the nose up and cleared the truck. This forced him to land long and the aircraft departed the end of the runway and went into a ditch that was 15 feet wide and 8 feet deep. The doors were jammed and the occupants were forced to break the windshield with the fire extinguisher in order to exit the aircraft. Subsequent inspection by the Safety Board's Materials Laboratory revealed that the number 4 cylinder articulating rod had experienced a fatigue fracture which initiated at the corner of the I-beam section and propagated through its cross section.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,182 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 1997; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-23 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLO Delano CA at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,020 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from BFL, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.