Cessna T210 N36X accident near Burleson, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel supply, which led to fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine did not respond when he attempted to increase power while on final approach to land at the conclusion of a 4-hour flight. The airplane was about ½ mile from the runway at 200 ft above ground level (agl) at the time. He attempted to switch tanks and selected full rich mixture, but the engine did not restart. The pilot continued the landing, but the airplane struck the runway approach lighting system about 1,000 ft short of the runway and came to rest between the approach lights and the runway.

A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. The right fuel tank did not contain any usable fuel at the time of the examination and the tank was not compromised.

Based on the available evidence, the loss of engine power was likely due to mismanagement of the airplane’s fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation. Due to the low altitude the airplane’s engine likely had insufficient time to restart after the pilot switched tanks following the loss of engine power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA021 for the full record.