Cessna 172N accident near Burbank, California, August 30, 2008
On August 30, 2008 at about 1:56 am local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N172ST, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Burbank, California (Bob Hope Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight and in-flight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's loss of situational awareness while conducting the normal and emergency checklists during his turn from base to final approach, and the dark night condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2008 · about 1:56 am local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Burbank, California · Bob Hope Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N172ST · registry record · serial 17271289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on the two-leg, round robin cross-country flight with 40 gallons of fuel on board, having been trained to use 8 to 10 gallons per hour (gph) for flight planning purposes. The pilot flight and fuel planned for the first leg of the flight; however, he did not flight or fuel plan for the return second leg. The first leg of the 286 nautical mile flight was planned for an average ground speed of 98 knots and an average fuel burn of 8 gph. The flight took 2.8 hours, consumed 24.7 gallons of fuel, and landed with 15.3 gallons of fuel remaining. Prior to departing on the return leg the pilot added 10 gallons of fuel, for a total of 25.3 gallons, which equates to an endurance of 2.8 hours at an average fuel burn of 9 gph. By regulation, the pilot should have had a minimum of 32 gallons fuel on board; 25 gallons for the en route portion and 7 gallons reserve. About 35 nm from the destination airport the airplane experienced fuel exhaustion, prompting the pilot to request landing clearance at a nearby airport. During the turn from base to final, the pilot was performing the normal and emergency checklists and the airplane overshot the runway. The pilot then tried to land on a residential street and the airplane struck a street light and a power pole with its left wing tip, and then impacted a set of high voltage power lines and a second power pole. The airplane came to rest in an inverted position suspended by the empennage from the power lines, with the nose of the airplane resting on the top of a parked car. The pilot and his two passengers egressed the airplane. During an examination of the engine, a new propeller was installed and the engine was started and it ran normally. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane or engine prior to or during the flight. According to the Federal Aviation Regulations, for VFR flight at night, the pilot was required to have a 45 minute reserve fuel supply available.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Situational awareness › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,285.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 2008; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Universal Aviators Academy INC
The flight
- Departed from: MOD Modesto CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: POC La Verne CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 15, 6,886 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from BUR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N172ST the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N172ST on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,311 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hollywood Burbank Airport · nearest airport
- Modesto City-County-Harry Sham Field · departed from
- Brackett Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- California 27,686 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N172ST 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA08LA191.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.