Culver V accident near San Martin, California, June 4, 1999
On June 4, 1999 at about 11:13 pm local time, a Culver V, registered N44549, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Martin, California. 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and failure to refuel the aircraft during an en route stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 1999 · about 11:13 pm local time
- Place
- San Martin, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Culver V · all Vs on the register
- Registration
- N44549 · no longer on the register · serial V42
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot noticed obscured ridges en route to his destination and said he spent too much time looking for a clear area to cross before he decided to divert to another airport. The pilot realized he would not have enough fuel to reach the diversion airport, so he maneuvered for a forced landing 4 miles short of the runway when he ran out of fuel. The aircraft encountered soft soil and ground obstructions during the landing roll. The pilot did not refuel the aircraft prior to departure from his last stop.
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: 1,415 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,341 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 690 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-FHJ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA at 9:15 pm
- Destination: WVI Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SJC, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 LAX99LA208.