CEN21LA001

The airplane was en route about 1,000 ft over mountainous terrain when the engine experienced a gradual loss of power. The pilot’s efforts to troubleshoot the engine issue were unsuccessful. The airplane could not maintain altitude and the pilot performed a forced landing to a clearing next to a highway. During the landing flare, the pilot pitched up to avoid an oncoming vehicle and the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. A postaccident fire consumed a majority of the airplane. Examination of the wreckage was limited due to the postimpact fire. However, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies identified with the available wreckage that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

The manufacturers operating manual states that the airplane’s service ceiling is 20,300 ft msl. On October 4, 2020, about 1150 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 210 airplane, N9568X, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cedaredge, Colorado. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he and the passenger departed from Blake Field Airport (AJZ), Delta, Colorado, with 60 gallons of fuel onboard. Before departure, he added 2 quarts of oil to the engine. He departed to the north and climbed along the valley parallel to the grand mesa. The airplane was at least 1,000 ft above ground level (about 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl)) and over mountainous terrain when he noticed a gradual reduction in engine rpm. He switched fuel tanks, turned on the fuel boost pump, and advanced the throttle, but the engine did not respond. The rpm continued to decrease, the airplane was no longer able to maintain altitude, and the pilot performed a forced landing next to a highway. During the landing flare, he pitched up to avoid an oncoming vehicle and the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. A postimpact fire ensued. Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane at a low altitude over the trees and the wings wobbled up and down before it impacted the ground. The density altitude near the accident site was calculated to be about 12,500 ft msl. The wreckage path and ground scars revealed that the airplane landed hard, bounced, and came to rest upright next to the highway. The postimpact fire consumed the cockpit, fuselage, and inboard sections of both wings. Figure 1 shows the airplane wreckage where it came to rest and was mostly consumed by fire. Figure 1. Main wreckage next to the highway (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office) A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that all flight control connections remained attached to their respective controls. The control cables were continuous through multiple tension overload separations and postaccident recovery cuts. The engine and fuel system sustained significant fire damage; therefore, a complete examination was not possible. There were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies identified with the available wreckage that would have precluded normal operation.