Accident North American Navion N727G, Saturday 20 January 1990

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Date:	Saturday 20 January 1990
Time:	13:15 LT
Type:	North American Navion
Owner/operator:	Plaster, Buddy
Registration:	N727G
MSN:	NAV-4-251
Year of manufacture:	1946
Engine model:	Continental IO-470-H
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Apple Valley, CA - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE LOCAL VFR FLIGHT. WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LAND ON THE AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN ROUGH/UNEVEN DIRT AREA ABT 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. A POST-ACCIDENT WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DSCLSD THE ENGINE SUSTAINED FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF FUEL; THE FUSELAGE TANK WAS EMPTY. THE LEFT TANK FED FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT FAILED TO PROPERLY PREFLIGHT THE AIRPLANE AND DEPARTED ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WITH MINIMAL FUEL.

Accident investigation: