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19961219039749A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 210N · Kerrville, TX · December 19, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 19, 1996 · 14:45 local
Place
Kerrville, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6555Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW97LA066
Reported as
Cessna 210N
Reported engine
Continental IO520L
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
350 total28 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N6555YRegistered now · Cessna 210NS/N 21064436 · Built 1981Airframe modelCessna 210NEngine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)According to the pilot, the engine lost power without warning while in cruise flight at 3,500 feet. The pilot reported that he switched tanks and activated the fuel boost pump to no avail. He intended to land on a road, but due to obstructions on the road, he executed a forced landing to an adjacent open field. The accident site was approximately 10 miles west of the destination airport. During the landing roll, in what turned out to be 'a very rocky field,' the outboard portion of the left wing impacted a tree, and both main landing gear were torn from the airframe. The pilot stated that before his departure from rocksprings, Texas, the airplane's fuel totalizer was indicating 18.8 gallons of fuel remaining. The fuel gages were reading 1/4 in the left tank and between 1/8 and 1/4 in the right tank. The pilot calculated that the distance between the two airports was 56.6 nautical miles, and he intended to use his loran to fly direct. Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that the right fuel tank was empty and only residual fuel remained in the left fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the right tank position. (-23) on December 19, 1996, at 1445 CST a Cessna 210, N6555Y owned and operated by Mr. John b. ebner, a private pilot, made an emergency off airport landing 10 miles west of the Kerrville Texas airport, due to loss of power. The aircraft was substantially damaged but there were no injuries to the pilot, the sole occupant on board. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight for which no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the edwards county airport, rocksprings, Texas at approximately 1415. According to the pilot, the engine lost power without warning while in cruise flight at 3,500 feet. The pilot indicated that he switched tanks and activated the fuel boost pump with no results. The pilot further stated that prior to his departure from rocksprings, Texas the fuel totalizer was indicated 18.9 gallons. Investigation at the accident site revealed only residual fuel in either wing tank.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 3,500 FEET. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE SWITCHED TANKS AND ACTIVATED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP TO NO AVAIL. HE INTENDED TO LAND ON A ROAD, BUT DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE ROAD, HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO AN ADJACENT OPEN FIELD. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES WEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, IN WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE 'A VERY ROCKY FIELD,' THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE, AND BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE TORN FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FROM ROCKSPRINGS, TEXAS, THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TOTALIZER WAS INDICATING 18.8 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE FUEL GAGES WERE READING 1/4 IN THE LEFT TANK AND BETWEEN 1/8 AND 1/4 IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE PILOT CALCULATED THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO AIRPORTS WAS 56.6 NAUTICAL MILES, AND HE INTENDED TO USE HIS LORAN TO FLY DIRECT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL REMAINED IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. (-23) ON DECEMBER 19, 1996, AT 1445 CST A CESSNA 210, N6555Y OWNED AND OPERATED BY MR. JOHN B. EBNER, A PRIVATE PILOT, MADE AN EMERGENCY OFF AIRPORT LANDING 10 MILES WEST OF THE KERRVILLE TEXAS AIRPORT, DUE TO LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE EDWARDS COUNTY AIRPORT, ROCKSPRINGS, TEXAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1415. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 3,500 FEET. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE SWITCHED TANKS AND ACTIVATED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WITH NO RESULTS. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM ROCKSPRINGS, TEXAS THE FUEL TOTALIZER WAS INDICATED 18.9 GALLONS. INVESTIGATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL IN EITHER WING TANK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA066Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKerrville, TXthe pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.Dec 19, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6555Y · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19910526017379AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Fernandina Beac, FLRight main gear fell into a hole while taxiing to park. Hole was a drain hole covered with rotten wood grate.May 26, 1991 · Substantial damage