What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Cessna T-210L collided with the terrain while pilot was attempting a forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power. The aircraft was demolished from impact and post crash fire. According to one of the passengers, the pilot stated they were running out of gas and that they needed a road to land on. At this time the engine quit and he noticed the pilot switch to the other tank in an attempt to restart the engine, with no success. The pilot was turning the aircraft around, in an attempt to reach Lodi airport, that they had just passed, when the aircraft lost power, momentum, and crashed in a dry river bed. (.4) the nonstop cross-country flight had been airborne for 4.9 hours and was about 30 minutes from the ultimate destination. Not long after they had passed an airport the pilot told a passenger that they were getting low on fuel and would turn around, land, and refuel. Shortly thereafter, the pilot announced that they were running out of gas and that they needed a road to land on. At this time, the engine quit and the pilot switch to the other fuel tank in an attempt to restart the engine with no success. The aircraft collided with trees and crashed in a dry r iverbed short of the airport. Postaccident examination of the engine disclosed no evidence of an internal failure. During testing, a leak was found in the nose seal of the engine driven fuel pump, which allowed fuel to leak out through the unit's overboard vent drain. The leak was quantified at 3 to 4 gallons per hour at cruise power settings. Disassembly of the unit revealed an area of rust etching on the driveshaft. The aircraft carries a total of 89 usable gallons of fuel and has a 13.83-gallon per hour fuel consumption rate at 65 percent power. The aircraft was airborne for 4.9 hours and would have used 67.7 gallons of fuel. At a 4.0-gallon per hour leak rate through the fuel pump nose seal, an additional 19.6 gallons would have been consumed for a total fuel usage of 87.3 gallons. The aircraft maintenance records were not located and no detailed information on the fuel pump maintenance history was found.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) CESSNA T-210L COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN WHILE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED FROM IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE. ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, THE PILOT STATED THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF GAS AND THAT THEY NEEDED A ROAD TO LAND ON. AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE NOTICED THE PILOT SWITCH TO THE OTHER TANK IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE PILOT WAS TURNING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND, IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH LODI AIRPORT, THAT THEY HAD JUST PASSED, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER, MOMENTUM, AND CRASHED IN A DRY RIVER BED. (.4) THE NONSTOP CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR 4.9 HOURS AND WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION. NOT LONG AFTER THEY HAD PASSED AN AIRPORT THE PILOT TOLD A PASSENGER THAT THEY WERE GETTING LOW ON FUEL AND WOULD TURN AROUND, LAND, AND REFUEL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF GAS AND THAT THEY NEEDED A ROAD TO LAND ON. AT THIS TIME, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT SWITCH TO THE OTHER FUEL TANK IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NO SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND CRASHED IN A DRY R IVERBED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF AN INTERNAL FAILURE. DURING TESTING, A LEAK WAS FOUND IN THE NOSE SEAL OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, WHICH ALLOWED FUEL TO LEAK OUT THROUGH THE UNIT'S OVERBOARD VENT DRAIN. THE LEAK WAS QUANTIFIED AT 3 TO 4 GALLONS PER HOUR AT CRUISE POWER SETTINGS. DISASSEMBLY OF THE UNIT REVEALED AN AREA OF RUST ETCHING ON THE DRIVESHAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIES A TOTAL OF 89 USABLE GALLONS OF FUEL AND HAS A 13.83-GALLON PER HOUR FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE AT 65 PERCENT POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRBORNE FOR 4.9 HOURS AND WOULD HAVE USED 67.7 GALLONS OF FUEL. AT A 4.0-GALLON PER HOUR LEAK RATE THROUGH THE FUEL PUMP NOSE SEAL, AN ADDITIONAL 19.6 GALLONS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSUMED FOR A TOTAL FUEL USAGE OF 87.3 GALLONS. THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE NOT LOCATED AND NO DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE FUEL PUMP MAINTENANCE HISTORY WAS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.