# NTSB CEN13LA565: Cessna 210-5(205), N8472Z, Weatherford, OK, September 25, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 25, 2013, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Weatherford, OK - Coordinates: 35.530681, -98.680824 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.5307&lon=-98.6808&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 14, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, OKC FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 88156 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA565 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/88156/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88156 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA565 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power during descent. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 210-5(205), 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2073202), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during a descent to the planned destination airport. The pilot reported that, before departure, he had fuel added to the preexisting fuel onboard the airplane, which he "confirmed" during the preflight inspection by looking at the fuel gauges. He did not visually inspect the fuel tanks. He entered the amount of added fuel into a fuel totalizer, and the totalizer indicated that the total amount of fuel on board was greater than the amount of fuel needed for the flight. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed about 3 to 4 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank and less than 1 gallon of fuel in the right fuel tank. Because the pilot did not visually verify the amount of fuel onboard the airplane, the fuel totalizer likely showed an inaccurate amount of fuel and led to the pilot's belief that he had sufficient fuel for the flight. ## Factual narrative On September 25, 2013, about 1200 central daylight time, a Cessna 205, N8472Z, experienced a total loss of engine power during a visual descent to Thomas P. Stafford Airport (OJA), Weatherford, Oklahoma. The pilot performed an off airport landing to a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot was uninjured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that was not operating on a flight plan. The flight originated from Cheyenne Regional Airport/Jerry Olson Field (CYS), Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 0700 mountain daylight time and was destined to OJA. The pilot stated that on September 24, 2013, he had 35 gallons of fuel added to airplane. He said after refueling, the total fuel on board was 75 gallons. On the day of the accident, he preflighted the airplane and entered the fuel added in the fuel totalizer for a total of 74.3 gallons, which he confirmed with the airplane fuel gauges. He said that the planned flight would use 52 gallons of fuel and the time en route to OJA was 3:46 hours. During the flight and about 1140, he began a descent during which the "engine sputtered." He switched from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank, and the engine ran "smoothly." The pilot stated that at this time, there was about 17 gallons of fuel remaining and 57 gallons that been used and the airplane fuel gauges showed "fuel remaining" in the left fuel tank. He continued the descent, and the engine quit about 4,000 feet mean sea level. He turned the boost pump on and turned the airplane toward OJA. He then decided to land on a field west of OJA. After landing, the fuel totalizer indicated 15.7 gallons of fuel remaining and 58.6 gallons of fuel used. The pilot stated that his recommendation of how the accident could have been avoided was: "Top off when refueling if possible instead of just replacing fuel used, gives known quantity, plus additional margin of safety." During a post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, approximately 3-4 gallons of fuel was drained from the left wing fuel tank and less than 1 gallon of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8472Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8472Z), registered now, S/N 205-0472, built 1963 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 210-5(205) - Registry model: [Cessna 210-5(205)](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210-5-205) (registry code 2073202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 205-0472 - Year built: 1963 - Airframe hours: 3397 - Engines: Continental IO-520-F-C-A 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Pilot - Registered owner: Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 29, 2013 - Departed: CYS, Cheyenne, WY - Destination: OJA, Weatherford, OK - Airport: OJA, Thomas P Stafford Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 28, 2013; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 21,100 total, 620 in this make and model, 15,000 as pilot in command, 29 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: OJA, 1 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130925022339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130925022339A), Sep 25, 2013: Cessna 210-5(205), Weatherford, OK, Substantial damage. Airman stated he was inbound to Weatherford, Oklahoma (koja), operating on the right fuel tank, when the engine began to lose power. He switched to the left… ## Other investigations on N8472Z (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW71DRH11](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW71DRH11), Mar 26, 1971: Cessna 205 (N8472Z), San Felipe, Mexico, substantial damage ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88156. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40410787&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation FAA (item 2, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40410789&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20FAA-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.