# Accident 19980506008509A: Cessna P210N, Richmond, VA, May 6, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 6, 1998, 16:15 local time
- Place: Richmond, VA
- Airport: Chesterfield County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3891° N, 77.5898° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3891&lon=-77.5898&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4543K (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA P210N
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520P
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,756 total, 1,380 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA051) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980506008509A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT MADE FORCED LANDING IN TREES, ENGINE PROBLEMS, WHILE ON APPROACH TO RWY 33, SUSTAINED SUBSTANSTIAL DAMAGE. (-23)PILOT AND PASSENGER (WIFE) WERE ON A NON STOP FLIGHT FROM FLORIDA TO CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA. DURING LANDING AT CHESTERFIELD AIRPORT, A WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD ON HIS AIRCRAFT RADIO THAT "4543K LOST ENGINE."  THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A VERY DENSELY TREE GROWTH AREA APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SOUTH OF CHESTERFIELD AIRPORT.  INVESTIGATION FOUND NO FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS.  NOTES FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT TAKEN BY THE PASSENGER INDICATED TOTAL FLIGHT TIME ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK ON THAT TRIP WAS 2:56 HOURS, AND FLIGHT TIME ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3:00 HOURS.                                 (.4)THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL AND FLEW APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.  THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING.  ACCORDING TO A STATE POLICE OFFICER THE PASSENGER STATED THEY '...RAN OUT OF FUEL AND CRASHED.'  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALE D THAT BOTH WING TANKS CONTAINED NO FUEL, AND THE FUEL LINE TO FLOW DIVIDER CONTAINED ONLY ABOUT A SPONNFUL OF FUEL. THE ENGINE RAN TO RATED POWER IN A TEST CELL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE TEST, THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP EXHIBITES HIGH PRESSURE AND FLOW RATES AT FULL POWER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA051), May 6, 1998: Cessna P210N (N4543K), Chesterfield, VA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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