What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While on a night VFR flight from el cajon, CA (see) to hawthorne, CA (hhr), pilot made emergency landing at mcas Camp Pendleton (nfg) Oceanside, CA. When engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was substantially damaged. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers.
Pilot told FAA iic park and FAA inspector nate morrissey (lgb FSDO) that he did not visually check fuel tanks prior to departure and that he relied on the fuel totalizer in the aircraft to determine fuel quantity on board. privacy data omitted Said he found the fuel totalizer to always be reliable and accurate. He said that on initial departure the fuel totalizer indicated he had 18 gal. Available fuel. He added $100 worth of fuel (approximately 15 gal.) At one stop, during the flight from hhr-vny-avx-see-nfg. He had estimated that he had enough fuel to complete the flight to hhr, with at least a 1 hr. Reserve.
At the time of the accident, the pilot had flown 190 to 200 miles since initial departure. In his pilot logbook the pilot annotated 1.3 hr total flight time from departure to emergency landing. The 1966 C-210 owners manual shows a fuel consumption rate of 15.4 gph at 75% power, at 7500 ft MSL. privacy data omitted Said he had the mixture leaned out to a 13.5 gph fuel flow.
Based on the information available, it appears that the pilot did not have the fuel on board that he thought he had beginning the flight; or that he miscalculated the fuel required to complete the flight with the fuel reserves required for night VFR flight operations.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM EL CAJON, CA (SEE) TO HAWTHORNE, CA (HHR), PILOT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING AT MCAS CAMP PENDLETON (NFG) OCEANSIDE, CA. WHEN ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR THE TWO PASSENGERS.
PILOT TOLD FAA IIC PARK AND FAA INSPECTOR NATE MORRISSEY (LGB FSDO) THAT HE DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND THAT HE RELIED ON THE FUEL TOTALIZER IN THE AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE FUEL QUANTITY ON BOARD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE FOUND THE FUEL TOTALIZER TO ALWAYS BE RELIABLE AND ACCURATE. HE SAID THAT ON INITIAL DEPARTURE THE FUEL TOTALIZER INDICATED HE HAD 18 GAL. AVAILABLE FUEL. HE ADDED $100 WORTH OF FUEL (APPROXIMATELY 15 GAL.) AT ONE STOP, DURING THE FLIGHT FROM HHR-VNY-AVX-SEE-NFG. HE HAD ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT TO HHR, WITH AT LEAST A 1 HR. RESERVE.
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 190 TO 200 MILES SINCE INITIAL DEPARTURE. IN HIS PILOT LOGBOOK THE PILOT ANNOTATED 1.3 HR TOTAL FLIGHT TIME FROM DEPARTURE TO EMERGENCY LANDING. THE 1966 C-210 OWNERS MANUAL SHOWS A FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE OF 15.4 GPH AT 75% POWER, AT 7500 FT MSL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE HAD THE MIXTURE LEANED OUT TO A 13.5 GPH FUEL FLOW.
BASED ON THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE, IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL ON BOARD THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD BEGINNING THE FLIGHT; OR THAT HE MISCALCULATED THE FUEL REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT WITH THE FUEL RESERVES REQUIRED FOR NIGHT VFR FLIGHT OPERATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6186R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.