Cessna T210 N761RG accident near Hanna, Utah

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed after a partial loss of power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall from which the pilot could not recover.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was conducting a personal flight with five passengers aboard. Shortly after departing, the airplane flew over rising terrain to an altitude of 12,896 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot reported that the airplane lost partial engine power during a turn over mountainous terrain and was not able to produce enough power to sustain lift. The pilot then conducted a forced landing near a lake shoreline.

An onboard video of the flight was recorded by the front-seat passenger. Examination of the onboard video showed that the stall warning horn sounded before the airplane crossed the shoreline, after which the airplane likely entered an aerodynamic stall. A screen shot of the instrument panel at this time showed that the rpm gauge indicated about 1,600 rpm, manifold pressure gauge was at 19 inches of mercury, and the fuel flow gauge needle was off scale. The throttle, propeller and mixture levers were all in the fully forward position. The fuel tank quantity indicator read about 19 gallons for the left tank and about 12 gallons for the right tank. Calculations from the engine data revealed that about 8 1/2 gallons of fuel was consumed during the flight.

Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunctions or anomalies. Given the available information for this investigation, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR20LA258 for the full record.