What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 21, 2002, about 1002 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210C, N9788X, collided with terrain during a forced landing near Riverside, California. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under 14 CFR part 91. The commercial rated pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the remaining passenger sustained a serious injury. The airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport and an instrument approach was in progress. The personal flight originated at gallup, new Mexico, about 0645 mountain daylight time, and was destined for ontario, California. The airplane lost engine power during the instrument approach into ontario international airport and the pilot executed a forced landing on a hill about 5 miles east of the airport. According to flight planning information recovered from inside the airplane, it had departed gallup with full fuel (65.0 useable gallons). The airplane had been airborne for about 3:17 hours at the time of the power failure. Prior to disassembly of the airplane for recovery, the fuel tanks were drained. The left tank had about 13 gallons of blue liquid with the odor of aviation gasoline. The right tank was empty. (-23) on October 21, 2002, at approximately 1002 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210C, N9788X, during a forced landing in glen avon, California, collided with the terrain. The airplane which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The commercial rated pilot sustained minor injures; two passengers sustained serious injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport and an instrument approach was in progress. The personal flight operating under 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations originated at gallup, new Mexico, approximately 0645 mountain daylight time, and was destined for ontario, California. The airplane lost engine power during the instrument approach into ontario international airport and the pilot executed a forced landing on a hill at approximately the 1500 ft level, about five miles east of the airport. Weather at the accident site was instrument conditions. Prior to recovery of the airplane the fuel tanks were drained. About 13 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left tank and the right tank was empty. Result of the teardown investigation of the airplane by the NTSB and the oem's revealed no findings to substantiate total loss of engine power. In follow-up conversation with the NTSB, the pilot admitted that the controller kind of caused him an interruption in his thought process and he may have run a fuel tank dry at a critical time. He said he kind of remembered the controller having him on hold in preparation for his instrument approach in what was a serious IFR condition.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 21, 2002, ABOUT 1002 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 210C, N9788X, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT/OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES; THE REMAINING PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH WAS IN PROGRESS. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT GALLUP, NEW MEXICO, ABOUT 0645 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AND WAS DESTINED FOR ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER DURING THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH INTO ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON A HILL ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO FLIGHT PLANNING INFORMATION RECOVERED FROM INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, IT HAD DEPARTED GALLUP WITH FULL FUEL (65.0 USEABLE GALLONS). THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 3:17 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE POWER FAILURE. PRIOR TO DISASSEMBLY OF THE AIRPLANE FOR RECOVERY, THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED. THE LEFT TANK HAD ABOUT 13 GALLONS OF BLUE LIQUID WITH THE ODOR OF AVIATION GASOLINE. THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY. (-23) ON OCTOBER 21, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1002 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 210C, N9788X, DURING A FORCED LANDING IN GLEN AVON, CALIFORNIA, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURES; TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH WAS IN PROGRESS. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS ORIGINATED AT GALLUP, NEW MEXICO, APPROXIMATELY 0645 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AND WAS DESTINED FOR ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER DURING THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH INTO ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON A HILL AT APPROXIMATELY THE 1500 FT LEVEL, ABOUT FIVE MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. WEATHER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS. PRIOR TO RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE THE FUEL TANKS WERE DRAINED. ABOUT 13 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT TANK AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY. RESULT OF THE TEARDOWN INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE NTSB AND THE OEM'S REVEALED NO FINDINGS TO SUBSTANTIATE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. IN FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB, THE PILOT ADMITTED THAT THE CONTROLLER KIND OF CAUSED HIM AN INTERRUPTION IN HIS THOUGHT PROCESS AND HE MAY HAVE RUN A FUEL TANK DRY AT A CRITICAL TIME. HE SAID HE KIND OF REMEMBERED THE CONTROLLER HAVING HIM ON HOLD IN PREPARATION FOR HIS INSTRUMENT APPROACH IN WHAT WAS A SERIOUS IFR CONDITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.