Cessna 195 accident near El Cajon, California, August 18, 2022
On August 18, 2022 at about 5:35 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna 195, registered N1097D, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near El Cajon, California (Gillespie Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to verify the fuel quantity prior to departure, which led to a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2022 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- El Cajon, California · Gillespie Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195, built 1951 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N1097D · no longer on the register · serial 7721
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had recently undergone maintenance, during which time the mechanic removed the fuel from the wings. The pilot stated that after completing the maintenance, the mechanic told him that he added the fuel back in the wings, so the pilot did not add any additional fuel. The pilot checked the quantity on the fuel gauges, but they were erroneous. He did not verify the quantity by doing a visual check of the actual fluid onboard. After departure, the engine stopped producing power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot made an off-airport landing on a freeway and the airplane came to rest adjacent to an onramp, about three miles short of the runway.
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 approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not inspected
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 1,850 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 24, 2021; 0 hours since
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 5,342 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 25, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Records of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photographs (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.