What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative:
On 12/27/2024, the private pilot departed VFR ( no flight plan filed) from lake havasu, Arizona, at about 1930 with one passenger headed for Gallup, new Mexico in a Cessna 210. Pilot stated fuel had been purchased at lake havasu and they felt they had departed with sufficient fuel for the flight.
Flight from lake havasu to Gallup was uneventful. During a base leg turn for final into Gallup at about 600 feel AGL, the pilot attempted to add power and noticed the engine did not respond. The pilot did not recall hearing the engine sputter or make any unusual noises. Pilot verified the fuel selector and noticed that the oil pressure was depleted. The propeller continued to windmill as the pilot searched for a place to land in the dark.
Pilot located an empty field just east of runway 24, put the landing gear down, set flaps at the second notch, and set up for an emergency landing. Pilot flew under some powerlines but struck a 2-wire telephone cable prior to setting down. Airplane came to rest in a dirt field approximately 1000 yards short of the runway threshold. Both pilot and passenger exited aircraft without injuries. Time off off field landing was around 20:45 mountain time.
Aircraft came to rest tail high, left wing down and right wing up as nose gear and LH landing gear were broken off aircraft. Propeller showed damage consistent with no power windmilling at touchdown. One blade was bent under when engine cowl contacted the ground. Windshield popped out of lower mounting at firewall. Engine cowl appeared to be bent down. There were no fuel leaks. Top of engine had no oil leaks. Due to angle of the wings it was not possible to accuratly measure remainng fuel. FAA classified as an accident due to the damage visible.
Aircraft moved to airport by privacy data omitted the following day. A salvage company acquired the aircraft, moved it to their facility, and held it there for NTSB to evaluate.
Very little fuel was reported recovered by the salvage company during recovery.
NTSB insected airplane, tested fuel quantity system, and test ran the engine. Engine ran normally when tested. Fuel quantity indicating system tested and was accurate.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE:
ON 12/27/2024, THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED VFR ( NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED) FROM LAKE HAVASU, ARIZONA, AT ABOUT 1930 WITH ONE PASSENGER HEADED FOR GALLUP, NEW MEXICO IN A CESSNA 210. PILOT STATED FUEL HAD BEEN PURCHASED AT LAKE HAVASU AND THEY FELT THEY HAD DEPARTED WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT.
FLIGHT FROM LAKE HAVASU TO GALLUP WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING A BASE LEG TURN FOR FINAL INTO GALLUP AT ABOUT 600 FEEL AGL, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER AND NOTICED THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL HEARING THE ENGINE SPUTTER OR MAKE ANY UNUSUAL NOISES. PILOT VERIFIED THE FUEL SELECTOR AND NOTICED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS DEPLETED. THE PROPELLER CONTINUED TO WINDMILL AS THE PILOT SEARCHED FOR A PLACE TO LAND IN THE DARK.
PILOT LOCATED AN EMPTY FIELD JUST EAST OF RUNWAY 24, PUT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN, SET FLAPS AT THE SECOND NOTCH, AND SET UP FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. PILOT FLEW UNDER SOME POWERLINES BUT STRUCK A 2-WIRE TELEPHONE CABLE PRIOR TO SETTING DOWN. AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A DIRT FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1000 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES. TIME OFF OFF FIELD LANDING WAS AROUND 20:45 MOUNTAIN TIME.
AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST TAIL HIGH, LEFT WING DOWN AND RIGHT WING UP AS NOSE GEAR AND LH LANDING GEAR WERE BROKEN OFF AIRCRAFT. PROPELLER SHOWED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH NO POWER WINDMILLING AT TOUCHDOWN. ONE BLADE WAS BENT UNDER WHEN ENGINE COWL CONTACTED THE GROUND. WINDSHIELD POPPED OUT OF LOWER MOUNTING AT FIREWALL. ENGINE COWL APPEARED TO BE BENT DOWN. THERE WERE NO FUEL LEAKS. TOP OF ENGINE HAD NO OIL LEAKS. DUE TO ANGLE OF THE WINGS IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ACCURATLY MEASURE REMAINNG FUEL. FAA CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE DAMAGE VISIBLE.
AIRCRAFT MOVED TO AIRPORT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE FOLLOWING DAY. A SALVAGE COMPANY ACQUIRED THE AIRCRAFT, MOVED IT TO THEIR FACILITY, AND HELD IT THERE FOR NTSB TO EVALUATE.
VERY LITTLE FUEL WAS REPORTED RECOVERED BY THE SALVAGE COMPANY DURING RECOVERY.
NTSB INSECTED AIRPLANE, TESTED FUEL QUANTITY SYSTEM, AND TEST RAN THE ENGINE. ENGINE RAN NORMALLY WHEN TESTED. FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM TESTED AND WAS ACCURATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.