Cessna T210 N732DK accident near Medford, Oregon

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he completed a cross-country flight. Shortly after departing on the return flight, the engine lost total power because he had “run out of fuel.” The pilot attempted to return to the airport to land. He switched fuel tanks but forgot to activate the fuel boost pump. Engine power was not restored, and the pilot landed in a field short of the runway, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the site reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail. One fuel tank was dry, and the other contained fuel. The fuel onboard was not quantified by the FAA inspector, but the pilot reported that the airplane contained 20 gallons. Based on the information available, it is likely that the pilot exhausted the fuel supply in one tank, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19LA165 for the full record.