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20170131007249I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna T210L · Clay Center, KS · January 31, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 31, 2017 · 08:43 local
Place
Clay Center, KS
Airport
Clay Center, Ks
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N732JE
Reported as
Cessna T210L
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-520 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,200 total50 in this make and model67 in the last 90 days
N732JERegistration cancelled Mar 24, 2022 · Cessna T210LS/N 21061542 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna T210LEngine modelContinental TSIO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 1/31/2017 at approximately 08:00 hours, while flying a C210 centurion, tail number N732JE at about 7800 ft MSL in conduct of aerial survey work, the pilot began to experience a sudden partial loss of engine power. The pilot began to take corrective action first by verification that the fuel selector was selected on and, to the fullest tank. The pilot stated he then advanced the mixture control towards the full rich position, but had to back off as the engine experienced further roughness. He then checked each magneto, left and right, but no significant change was evident. Oil pressure and temps were at their normal operating range, as well as CHT. There was a significant drop of EGT indicated. The pilot then decided it would be best to make a precautionary return to kmhk, as his corrective actions had no positive effect. While enroute to kmhk, the pilot was granted priority handling as he explained his situation to Kansas center control. When approximately 8 miles southwest from Clay Center airport (kcyw), he experienced a further loss of power to the point where he determined he would be unable to sustain level flight. He declared an emergency, set the squawk code to 7700 and selected direct to cyw (the nearest airport) on the garmin 430. The pilot stated he circled the approach end of RUNWAY17 until decending to an altitude where he could make a safe approach to land. The pilot stated that at approximately 1200' he selected the gear handle lever to the down position, but ?there was no mechanical response present?. He determined that he did not have enough power to level off for a go around and not enough time to attempt pumping the gear handle down manually as he was still gradually losing altitude. The pilot stated he then decided to prepare for a gear-up landing and focused on keeping the landing as smooth as possible without making the situation worse. After crossing the threshold of runway 17, he reported that he moved the fuel selector to the off position, mixture to idle cutoff, and turned the magnetos off. He skidded to a stop approximately 500' past the second 1,000' runway hash marks.

As the FAA filed it

ON 1/31/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 08:00 HOURS, WHILE FLYING A C210 CENTURION, TAIL NUMBER N732JE AT ABOUT 7800 FT MSL IN CONDUCT OF AERIAL SURVEY WORK, THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT BEGAN TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION FIRST BY VERIFICATION THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED ON AND, TO THE FULLEST TANK. THE PILOT STATED HE THEN ADVANCED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TOWARDS THE FULL RICH POSITION, BUT HAD TO BACK OFF AS THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED FURTHER ROUGHNESS. HE THEN CHECKED EACH MAGNETO, LEFT AND RIGHT, BUT NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS EVIDENT. OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPS WERE AT THEIR NORMAL OPERATING RANGE, AS WELL AS CHT. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP OF EGT INDICATED. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY RETURN TO KMHK, AS HIS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HAD NO POSITIVE EFFECT. WHILE ENROUTE TO KMHK, THE PILOT WAS GRANTED PRIORITY HANDLING AS HE EXPLAINED HIS SITUATION TO KANSAS CENTER CONTROL. WHEN APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES SOUTHWEST FROM CLAY CENTER AIRPORT (KCYW), HE EXPERIENCED A FURTHER LOSS OF POWER TO THE POINT WHERE HE DETERMINED HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO SUSTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, SET THE SQUAWK CODE TO 7700 AND SELECTED DIRECT TO CYW (THE NEAREST AIRPORT) ON THE GARMIN 430. THE PILOT STATED HE CIRCLED THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY17 UNTIL DECENDING TO AN ALTITUDE WHERE HE COULD MAKE A SAFE APPROACH TO LAND. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 1200' HE SELECTED THE GEAR HANDLE LEVER TO THE DOWN POSITION, BUT ?THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL RESPONSE PRESENT?. HE DETERMINED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO LEVEL OFF FOR A GO AROUND AND NOT ENOUGH TIME TO ATTEMPT PUMPING THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN MANUALLY AS HE WAS STILL GRADUALLY LOSING ALTITUDE. THE PILOT STATED HE THEN DECIDED TO PREPARE FOR A GEAR-UP LANDING AND FOCUSED ON KEEPING THE LANDING AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT MAKING THE SITUATION WORSE. AFTER CROSSING THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 17, HE REPORTED THAT HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION, MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF, AND TURNED THE MAGNETOS OFF. HE SKIDDED TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 500' PAST THE SECOND 1,000' RUNWAY HASH MARKS.