- Date
- April 15, 2017, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7358ECessna 210
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170415021349A
- Case key
- 95014
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
The pilot's inadequate fuel planning and in-flight fuel monitoring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 passenger were on a cross-country personal flight in a single-engine airplane. As the airplane approached the destination airport, the engine lost power. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pump and switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not restored. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted a tree and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. During the recovery of the airplane, about 5 gallons of fuel were drained from each wing fuel tank. An engine test run was conducted by connecting a fuel line to the airplane's right-side fuel line. The fuel boost pump was operated, and the engine started and ran with no anomalies. A review of the airplane type certificate data sheet indicated that the airplane was equipped with two wing fuel tanks for a total capacity of 65 gallons, with useable fuel of 55 gallons. Given the available information, it is likely the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
Factual narrative
***This report was modified on July 2, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** On April 15, 2017, about 1150 central daylight time, a Cessna 210 airplane, N7358E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Minden Airport (MNE) Minden, Louisiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91 personal flight. The pilot reported he planned to fly to MNE, then to the Thomas P Stafford Airport (OJA),Weatherford, Oklahoma. As he approached MNE, he listened to the AWOS (Automated Weather Reporting Station) and set up for a left turn to runway 19. About 1,500 ft and 3 miles from the runway, the engine rpms dropped and the engine lost power. He reported he immediately switched fuel tanks; from the right to the left tank, which indicated a little over a quarter of a tank and activated the fuel boost pump. Engine power was not restored, and he selected a hay field for the forced landing. The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector noted the airplane's left wing had impacted a tree during the landing. The airplane also had a collapsed nose wheel and a bent right main landing gear. Visual inspection of the airplane noted that engine's oil dip stick indicated a minimal amount of oil, the right fuel tank contained about 3 inches of fuel, and the left fuel tank contained about 1.5 inches of fuel. During recovery of the accident airplane, the recovery crew drained about 5 gallons of fuel from each wing. The airplane was transported back to Oklahoma where a mechanic attached a fuel line to the airplane's right-side fuel line and operated the fuel boost pump. The engine started and ran normally. A review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed the annual maintenance inspection had expired on February 28, 2017. A review of the airplane's TCDS (Type Certificate Data Sheet), revealed the airplane was equipped with two wing fuel tanks for a total capacity of 65 gallons and 55 gallons useable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7358E
- Reported as
- Cessna 210 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 57058
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 2,945.2
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-E, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 2016
- Departed
- KNEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- KOJA · Weatherford, OK
- Airport
- KMNE · Minden Airport, runway 19, 5,004 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 345 total · 68 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KMNE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 517 KB 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.