Pilot Debrief

Cessna T210 near Odessa, TX — 2019-11-01

Final reportERA20LA028
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Date
2019-11-01
Location
Odessa, TX, USA
Aircraft
Cessna T210
Registration
N732JW
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s mismanagement of the available fuel.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he did not recall many details of the accident but reported that, about 10 minutes into the flight, the engine lost partial power. He checked the throttle, fuel, and cowl flap positions, and then performed a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane impacted a hole, nosed over, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. After the accident, 2 cups of fuel were removed from the right wing and 25 gallons of fuel was removed from the left wing. The fuel tanks were not breached, there was no fuel staining on the ground in the vicinity of the wreckage, and there was no smell of fuel at the accident site. The fuel selector was found in the right tank position. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the minimal amount of fuel in the intact right tank at the accident site and the position of the fuel selector, it is likely that the engine was starved of fuel, which resulted in a loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to ensure adequate fuel for flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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