Cessna T210L N505SW accident near Gallup, New Mexico

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

Before departing on a cross-country flight, the pilot fueled the airplane with about 20 gallons of fuel, using the airplane’s gauges to determine the airplane’s fuel quantity, which she believed to be 70 gallons. The pilot did not look inside the fuel tanks to verify the fuel quantity before departure. After about two hours of flight, while on approach to the destination airport, the engine lost total power and the pilot was unable to restore engine power or glide to the runway. During the subsequent forced landing in a vacant lot, the airplane impacted powerlines and rough terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing.

According to the pilot, an unknown quantity of fuel was observed to leak from the airplane’s lower forward fuselage after the accident. During the airplane’s recovery from the accident site, only trace amounts of fuel were found within the fuel system. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preexisting malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, and a test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. The left-side fuel system was unobstructed and undamaged with exception of the left-side fuel reservoir tank, located in the lower forward fuselage, which displayed fuel staining and damage consistent with impact. No damage or voids were found in the right-side fuel system.

As there were no mechanical anomalies with the engine or right-side fuel system, and there was no evidence to suggest that the left-side fuel system was compromised before impact, the engine likely lost power due to the pilot’s improper fuel management. The penetrated left side fuel reservoir tank was located at a low point in the fuel system relative to the left-wing fuel tank and leaked an unknown quantity of fuel at the accident site. The investigation could not determine if the loss of power was due to fuel starvation or exhaustion, as the remaining fuel quantity in the left tank at the time of the accident is unknown.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR25LA071 for the full record.