20100517039599A

On may 17, 2010, a Cessna, N50LP, P206 lost power and made an emergency landing on the goss ranch in Spring Branch. The pilot reported that they were heading back to kestrel airpark and lost power three miles from the airpark at approximately 2500 feet. He attempted to restart the engine but with no success. The pilot attempted to land the aircraft in a small clearing. From the first point of ground contact to the aircraft resting spot, measured 373 feet. The left wing, tip and nav light were the first contact points, right at the base of a persimmon tree. The aircraft travelled for approximately 70 feet on the left main and nose tire before the right main contacted the ground. With less then three hundred feet to go, before impacting a cliff head-on, the pilot managed to have enough control of the aircraft that he managed to turn at the last minute and impacted the cliff with the right wing and was spun around, clockwise. The right wing was almost severed from the fuselage, only the forward mount bolt was holding it. During the spin the nose gear folded underneath the aircraft. The impact force was so great that the right seat rolled forward and came off the rails, there were no seat stops. The left seat feet were snapped off. There was no evidence in the aircraft that forward seat stops were in place at the time of the accident. The rear seat stops were not standard stops. This aircraft was not in an airworthy condition. All the interior had been removed, headliner, glareshield, side panels, rear plastic bulkhead, tunnel carpet, carpet and rudder pedal covers. There was no airworthiness certificate and no registration. The ELT was in the arm position but failed to transmit. Because of the instability of the aircraft I could not access the ELT to check the battery. (During the NTSB investigation, at the air salvage of dallas, it was discovered that the ELT battery date was expired. The aircraft received substantial damage and both occupants were injured. There was no post fire even though the right wing fuel tank and lines were compromised. Although the engine failed, the NTSB elected to not attempt an engine run. The tcm representative did a teardown and found all parts were intact. They found that the oil screen had new oil, no metal particles and the fuel screen was contaminated with what appears to be either sand or some type of lint. All of the fuel lines on the engine, that were downstream of the airframe electric fuel pump were opened, and all of them were dry. They did not contain any fuel. The only fuel in the engine was found in the fuel manifold. The inspection of this engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation and production of rated horsepower. The engine was examined at air salvage of dallas under the supervision of the national transportation safety board. Air salvage of dallas personnel that examined the engine believe the aircraft ran out of fuel.