# Accident 19990430020159A: Cessna 210A, Bay City, TX, April 30, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 30, 1999, 15:30 local time
- Place: Bay City, TX
- Airport: Bay City Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.9732° N, 95.8635° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BAY CITY RGNL (BYY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.9732&lon=-95.8635&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9404X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9404X-2001-04-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 210A (registry code 2073408, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 210A
- Reported engine: CONT IO470E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,101 total, 148 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA130) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990430020159A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 FTW99LA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA130), Apr 30, 1999: Cessna 210A (N9404X), Bay City, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate management of fuel and his failure to follow the pre-landing checklist resulting in the loss of engine power as a result of fuel starvation. Factors were the pilot's…

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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