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20200304008689A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 210L · Needles, CA · March 4, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 4, 2020 · 20:30 local
Place
Needles, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N123CE
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR20LA101
Reported as
Cessna 210L
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
7,700 total2,900 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N123CERegistered now · Cessna 210LS/N 21061054Airframe modelCessna 210LEngine 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.

N123CE was tracked by los angeles center (zla) due to a request by homeland security. N123CE was lost on radar at 0430Z near the Needles VOR R-245, 27 DME. Shortly after, the roc called and informed zla that the pilot of N123CE called his girlfriend and advised her that he had crashed. The PIC called 911, spoke to the local san bernardino county sheriff's office who located N123CE at the position provided by the pic's cell phone.

Per the yuma ATC chief, N123CE violated R2308/R2507/R2301 while flying southbound toward Mexico before returning northbound.

N123CE flew from approximately 35NM south of the us/mexico border northbound across the adiz at approximately 0308Z. N123CE subsequently entered into R2510 and R2507 where it crashed after exhausting its onboard fuel.

The PIC originally intended to fly the route: henderson (hnd) to st. george (sgu) to henderson (hnd). The pilot ^/owner^ had recently had an annual inspection completed on his aircraft (N123CE) and intended to return the ferry pilot to sgu then fly back to his home base hnd. The pic's intended flight route was to the east towards lake mead skirting the las vegas class b airspace prior to landing at hnd.

According to the PIC, N123CE departed sgu at 1730L (0030Z), flying southbound for approximately 20 minutes. The PIC stated he stopped at mesquite, NV for fuel taking on 77 gallons. Note: the fuel receipt provided by the PIC shows that N123 received 77.38 gallons of avgas at parker, AZ at 1715L on 3/04/20.

After departing sgu, N123CE headed south and continued on a southbound course until the pilot thought his GPS was malfunctioning as it showed the distance to hnd increasing not decreasing (pilot's words). At this time the pilot then elected to turn north. It was dark by this point and the PIC then chose to pull out his sectional chart to determine his position. He was unsuccessful, but held out hope as his GPS showed the distance to hnd as decreasing.

As the FAA filed it

N123CE WAS TRACKED BY LOS ANGELES CENTER (ZLA) DUE TO A REQUEST BY HOMELAND SECURITY. N123CE WAS LOST ON RADAR AT 0430Z NEAR THE NEEDLES VOR R-245, 27 DME. SHORTLY AFTER, THE ROC CALLED AND INFORMED ZLA THAT THE PILOT OF N123CE CALLED HIS GIRLFRIEND AND ADVISED HER THAT HE HAD CRASHED. THE PIC CALLED 911, SPOKE TO THE LOCAL SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHO LOCATED N123CE AT THE POSITION PROVIDED BY THE PIC'S CELL PHONE.

PER THE YUMA ATC CHIEF, N123CE VIOLATED R2308/R2507/R2301 WHILE FLYING SOUTHBOUND TOWARD MEXICO BEFORE RETURNING NORTHBOUND.

N123CE FLEW FROM APPROXIMATELY 35NM SOUTH OF THE US/MEXICO BORDER NORTHBOUND ACROSS THE ADIZ AT APPROXIMATELY 0308Z. N123CE SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED INTO R2510 AND R2507 WHERE IT CRASHED AFTER EXHAUSTING ITS ONBOARD FUEL.

THE PIC ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO FLY THE ROUTE: HENDERSON (HND) TO ST. GEORGE (SGU) TO HENDERSON (HND). THE PILOT ^/OWNER^ HAD RECENTLY HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED ON HIS AIRCRAFT (N123CE) AND INTENDED TO RETURN THE FERRY PILOT TO SGU THEN FLY BACK TO HIS HOME BASE HND. THE PIC'S INTENDED FLIGHT ROUTE WAS TO THE EAST TOWARDS LAKE MEAD SKIRTING THE LAS VEGAS CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO LANDING AT HND.

ACCORDING TO THE PIC, N123CE DEPARTED SGU AT 1730L (0030Z), FLYING SOUTHBOUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. THE PIC STATED HE STOPPED AT MESQUITE, NV FOR FUEL TAKING ON 77 GALLONS. NOTE: THE FUEL RECEIPT PROVIDED BY THE PIC SHOWS THAT N123 RECEIVED 77.38 GALLONS OF AVGAS AT PARKER, AZ AT 1715L ON 3/04/20.

AFTER DEPARTING SGU, N123CE HEADED SOUTH AND CONTINUED ON A SOUTHBOUND COURSE UNTIL THE PILOT THOUGHT HIS GPS WAS MALFUNCTIONING AS IT SHOWED THE DISTANCE TO HND INCREASING NOT DECREASING (PILOT'S WORDS). AT THIS TIME THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO TURN NORTH. IT WAS DARK BY THIS POINT AND THE PIC THEN CHOSE TO PULL OUT HIS SECTIONAL CHART TO DETERMINE HIS POSITION. HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT HELD OUT HOPE AS HIS GPS SHOWED THE DISTANCE TO HND AS DECREASING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20LA101Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportNeedles, CAA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons due to a lack of available evidence.Mar 5, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N123CE · 4

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19990320019649ILevel Off Touchdown · Jean, NV(-5) Pilot forgot to extend landing gear prior to landing. Minor damage. No injuries to sole occupant.Mar 20, 1999 · Minor damageIncident 19941028044989IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Reno, NVStruck cement curb taxiing on unlit ramp. Impact folded nose gear. No taxi lines in area.Oct 28, 1994 · Minor damageIncident 19800725062639ILevel Off Touchdown · Oakridge, ORPilot failed to extend gear before landing.Jul 25, 1980 · Minor damageIncident 19780215006649IIn Traffic Pattern-Circling · Aberdeen, MDPilot landed short of the airport, out of fuel.Feb 15, 1978 · Substantial damage