- Date
- January 28, 2014, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8133MCessna 310I
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140128001719A
- Case key
- 88732
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that while in cruise flight, both engines experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot selected an open field and conducted a forced landing. Due to rough terrain, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, as he did not verify fuel quantity prior to departure. The pilot requested his local fixed base operator to fill his main fuel tanks, which did not occur. The pilot stated that he should not have assumed the fueling had occurred. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that while in cruise flight, both engines experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot selected an open field and conducted a forced landing. Due to rough terrain, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the reason for the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, as he did not verify fuel quantity prior to departure. The pilot requested his local fixed base operator to fill his main fuel tanks, which did not occur. The pilot stated that he should not have assumed the fueling had occurred. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8133M
- Reported as
- Cessna 310I (I)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310I0133
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 5,817
- Engines
- Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor I0-470 SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Fools LLC
- Registered owner
- Flying Fools LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2013
- Departed
- KFTG · Denver, CO
- Destination
- KCOS · ColoradoSprings, CO
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 19, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,528 total · 80 in this make and model · 2,770 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 16, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point -2 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8133M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.