# NTSB CEN15LA107: Cessna 210J, N3320S, Dodge City, KS, January 14, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 14, 2015, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC) - Place: Dodge City, KS - Coordinates: 37.746665, -99.967498 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7467&lon=-99.9675&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 minor - Status: Completed, report December 12, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 90616 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN15LA107 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90616/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90616 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA107 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power on approach due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's improper preflight fuel planning and inspection. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2073439), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073439), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 210J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073439), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot reported that he departed on a 1-hour cross-country flight with the fuel tank gauges showing about 1/4 tank each. The left fuel tank was selected at takeoff. After 20 minutes of flight, the pilot switched to the right fuel tank and noticed that the right fuel tank gauge dropped unusually fast to near empty. The pilot then selected the left fuel tank and entered a left downwind to his destination airport. Upon turning onto the base leg, the engine lost power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were not successful. The pilot conducted a forced landing, and the airplane impacted the ground about 1 mile from the destination airport. Examination of the airplane wreckage showed the fuel selector valve was positioned to the left wing tank. The three-bladed propeller blades were bent upward from impact but did not show curling or twisting, indicating that the engine was not producing power at impact. The airframe gascolator had just enough fuel to fill the bowl, and no fuel came out of the fuel feeder line. Neither wing tank contained any fuel. A certificated aircraft mechanic from a nearby airport who had arrived within 15 minutes of the accident reported that he did not smell aviation gasoline in the air or on the ground. The pilot reported that more accurate fuel management and awareness would have prevented the accident. He stated that the flight hours in his pilot log indicated that he had enough fuel for the flight after his most recent top-off refueling but that he likely had flown the airplane 20 to 30 minutes more than his pilot logs indicated. He stated that fuel tanks should be visually inspected before flight. ## Factual narrative On January 14, 2014, about 0915 central daylight time, a Cessna 210J airplane, N3320S, registered to the pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a loss of engine power about 1 mile from the Dodge City Airport (DDC), Dodge City, Kansas. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and two passengers sustained minor injuries. The cross country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Federal Code of Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated at 0820 from Wellington Municipal Airport (EGT), Wellington, Kansas, and was enroute to DDC. According to the pilot, he had departed EGT with both fuel tank gauges showing about 1/4 fuel remaining each tank. The left fuel tank was selected at takeoff from EGT. At a cruising altitude of 4.500 feet (after about 20 minutes of flight), the pilot switched to the right fuel tank. The pilot noticed that the right fuel tank gauge dropped unusually fast and was near empty about 8-10 miles from DDC. The pilot then selected the left fuel tank and entered a left downwind for runway 32 at DDC. As the pilot turned onto base leg, the engine lost power and did not restart. The pilot tuned on the fuel boost pump and tried again to restart the engine with no success. The pilot then switched back to the right tank and made another restart attempt with no success. The airplane had descended to about 250 feet AGL and the pilot maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing. The airplane impacted the ground just short of a county road, about 1 mile from the airport. A witness saw the airplane losing altitude while in a turn, and then impact the ground. According to on scene observations by an FAA inspector, the engine was found mostly detached from the airframe and was lying on the ground in front of the airplane. Both main landing gear were still attached and the nose gear was extended. The landing gear lever was down and the flaps were set at 20 degrees. The fuel selector valve was found selected to the left wing tank. The three bladed propeller blades were bent upward from impact but did not show curling or twisting. There were no propeller strike marks on the ground. The left wing was found broken open near the wing roots. The airframe gascolator had enough fuel to fill the bowl. No fuel came out of the disconnected fuel feeder line. At post-crash disassembly, neither wing contained any fuel. A certificated aircraft mechanic from nearby Dodge City Airport said that he arrived within 15 minutes of the accident. He did not discern any odor of aviation gasoline in the air or on the ground. The pilot offered a safety recommendation included in his submitted NTSB Form 6120. He stated that more accurate fuel management and awareness would have prevented the accident. He stated that the flight hours in his pilot log indicated that he had enough fuel for the flight from EGT to DDC, after his most recent top-off refueling. Hefelt that he most likely had flown the airplane 20-30 minutes more than his pilot logs indicated. He stated that fuel tanks should visually inspected prior to flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3320S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3320S-2020-09-04), registration cancelled 2020-09-04, S/N 21059120, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 210J (J) - Registry model: [Cessna 210J](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210j) (registry code 2073439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21059120 - Year built: 1969 - Airframe hours: 3689 - Engines: CONT MOTOR IO 520 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 1, 2014, 40 hours before - Departed: EGT, Wellington, KS - Destination: DDC, Dodge City, KS - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 19, 2014; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,595 total, 915 in this make and model, 1,537 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,000 ft broken - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: DDC, 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 20150114001779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150114001779A), Jan 14, 2015: Cessna 210J, Dodge City, KS, Substantial damage. On January 14th, 2015, at approximately 1512 UTC (0912 local time), the airman holder of a private pilot certificate was involved in an aircraft accident while… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90616. 6.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445689&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot Statement On Scene (item 2, .PDF, 256 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445690&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement%20On%20Scene-Master.PDF - Witness Statement On Scene (item 3, .PDF, 296 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445691&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement%20On%20Scene-Master.PDF - Kansas Highway Patrol Report (item 4, .PDF, 229 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445692&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Kansas%20Highway%20Patrol%20Report-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Report (item 5, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445693&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Report-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 6, .PDF, 4 photos, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445694&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-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.