What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 1999, approximately 1600 central daylight time, a Cessna 210 airplane, N9404K, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power near Bay City, Texas. The private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal cross-county flight. The flight originated from freer, Texas, and was en route to baytown, Texas. During a telephone interview ocnducted by the investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that after departing freer, Texas, he started experiencing stomach pains. He elected to land at the Bay City Municipal Airport near Bay City, Texas, instead of continuing to baytown, Texas. The pilot added that he forgot to switch his tanks during his pre-landing check and on final approach the engine quit. The pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank and turned on the fuel pump; however, the propeller stopped windmilling and the pilot was unable to restart the engine. The pilot landed the airplane approximately two miles northwest of the Bay City airport in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a 5 foot drainage ditch resulting in the left main gear and nose gear separating. The horizontal stabilizer was twisted, and the engine fire wall was damaged. The FAA inspector examined the aircraft in the field and reported that the left fuel tank was empty and the right fuel tank contained approximately 5 gallons of fuel. There was evidence of a "small" fuel spill at the accident site. The pilot reported that the weather at the time of the accident was scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, visibility 7 miles, and winds from the northeast at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. (.4) while on a cross-country flight, the pilot became physically impaired by stomach pains and diverted to a nearby airport to use the restroom. The pilot forgot to switch fuel tanks during the pre-landing check and on downwind, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank and turned on the fuel pump; however, the propeller stopped windmilling and the pilot was unable to restart the engine. During the forced landing in a field, the airplane impacted a 5 foot drainage ditch.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1600 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 210 AIRPLANE, N9404K, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR BAY CITY, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTY FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FREER, TEXAS, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO BAYTOWN, TEXAS. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW OCNDUCTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER DEPARTING FREER, TEXAS, HE STARTED EXPERIENCING STOMACH PAINS. HE ELECTED TO LAND AT THE BAY CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT NEAR BAY CITY, TEXAS, INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO BAYTOWN, TEXAS. THE PILOT ADDED THAT HE FORGOT TO SWITCH HIS TANKS DURING HIS PRE-LANDING CHECK AND ON FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP; HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER STOPPED WINDMILLING AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTHWEST OF THE BAY CITY AIRPORT IN A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A 5 FOOT DRAINAGE DITCH RESULTING IN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND NOSE GEAR SEPARATING. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS TWISTED, AND THE ENGINE FIRE WALL WAS DAMAGED. THE FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE FIELD AND REPORTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS OF FUEL. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A "SMALL" FUEL SPILL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 3,500 FEET, VISIBILITY 7 MILES, AND WINDS FROM THE NORTHEAST AT 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. (.4) WHILE ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT BECAME PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED BY STOMACH PAINS AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT TO USE THE RESTROOM. THE PILOT FORGOT TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS DURING THE PRE-LANDING CHECK AND ON DOWNWIND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE RIGHT TANK AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP; HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER STOPPED WINDMILLING AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. DURING THE FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A 5 FOOT DRAINAGE DITCH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.