Pilot Debrief

Cessna T210 near FiIlmore, CA — 2018-10-27

Final reportWPR19LA016
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Date
2018-10-27
Location
FiIlmore, CA, USA
Airport
SZP
Aircraft
Cessna T210
Registration
N6834R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power as a result of the pilot’s failure to remove a towel from the engine’s air induction following maintenance.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, after a normal departure, he climbed the airplane to a cruise altitude about 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and configured it for cruise flight. Thereafter, the engine experienced a sudden total loss of power. Despite his attempts to troubleshoot the failure, he could not restart the engine and performed a forced landing in a dry riverbed. After touchdown, the nose landing gear impacted a rock and collapsed, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination revealed a cloth towel blocking the turbocharger inlet tube that had become entangled with the turbocharger compressor wheel. The towel likely blocked the inlet air from reaching the cylinders, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The pilot stated that during the last oil change, about 34 flight hours before the accident, he removed the airbox and placed a towel in the inlet scat tubing (not disconnected) in an effort to protect the turbocharger from foreign object damage.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have ensured no foreign objects were left in the engine before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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