On April 23, 1995, a Cessna 180 (registration N4928A) was involved in an aviation accident near Los Banos, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Cessna 180 lost engine power in the traffic pattern, landed short of the runway, and collided with a wall. Post-impact inspection found minimal fuel in the left wing tank, empty fuselage and right wing tanks, and no fuel in the carburetor supply line.
Accident Overview
An accident occurred when an aircraft lost power while in the traffic pattern. The airplane subsequently landed short of the runway and collided with a wall. The fuel system was not compromised during the impact sequence, and no evidence of leakage was found.
Fuel System Examination
Following the accident, approximately 4 gallons of 80/87 octane aviation gasoline were drained from the left wing fuel tank. The fuselage tank and the right wing tank were empty. No fuel was found in the line from the fuel selector to the carburetor. A trace of fuel was detected in the engine primer system.
Aircraft Fuel Capacity
The pilot operating handbook for the Cessna 180 lists the fuel capacity of the wing bladder tanks as 32.5 gallons, of which 27.5 gallons are usable. An additional 3.5 gallons of the 5 gallons designated as unusable can be used 'for level flight only.' The fuel tanks have outlet ports in the rear inboard corner only.