Cessna T210 N94227 accident near Ada, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and preflight fuel planning.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and one passenger were conducting a cross-country flight in the single engine airplane. The pilot thought that the fuel tanks had been topped off on a level surface before departure, but he did not observe the fueling and did not confirm the actual fuel quantity before departure. About 3.5 hours after departure, after having switched from the left fuel tank to the right, the pilot reported that the engine experienced a loss of power and told air traffic control (ATC) that he had a fuel issue and needed to land immediately. The pilot was able to restart the engine briefly but again experienced a loss of engine power. He made a forced landing to a field then continued into a fence and impacted several trees and the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, empennage, and engine mounts.

Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were breached at the leading edges. The fuel tank caps were secured in place and there was no sign of blue fuel staining on the wings. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

A postaccident fuel calculation based on fuel receipts for the round-trip cross-country flight revealed that the airplane would have contained about 69 gallons of fuel before departure. Based on the fuel calculation, there should have been about 26 gallons of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks during the loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he did not complete a preflight fuel burn calculation or check the amount of fuel on the fuel receipt after fueling.

It is likely that the pilot did not switch to the right fuel tank when he reported doing so or did not allow enough time for the fuel to reach the engine before attempting an engine restart. Based on postaccident fuel calculations and the lack of evidence of a fuel tank leak, the pilot did not adequately manage the available fuel during the flight, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20LA053 for the full record.