# NTSB CEN23LA021: Cessna T210, N36X, Burleson, TX, October 27, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 27, 2022, 20:07, time zone not recorded - Place: Burleson, TX - Coordinates: 32.565134, -97.308439 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5651&lon=-97.3084&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA North Texas FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 106222 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106222/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106222 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA021 ## Probable cause The pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel supply, which led to fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tower/antenna (incl guy wires)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022017): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022017/cases.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 55 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022017/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine did not respond when he attempted to increase power while on final approach to land at the conclusion of a 4-hour flight. The airplane was about ½ mile from the runway at 200 ft above ground level (agl) at the time. He attempted to switch tanks and selected full rich mixture, but the engine did not restart. The pilot continued the landing, but the airplane struck the runway approach lighting system about 1,000 ft short of the runway and came to rest between the approach lights and the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. The right fuel tank did not contain any usable fuel at the time of the examination and the tank was not compromised. Based on the available evidence, the loss of engine power was likely due to mismanagement of the airplane’s fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation. Due to the low altitude the airplane’s engine likely had insufficient time to restart after the pilot switched tanks following the loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On October 27, 2022, about 2007 central daylight time (CDT), a Cessna T210M, N36X, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS), Burleson, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 corporate flight. The pilot reported that the flight initiated from the Columbus Airport, Columbus, Georgia (CSG), about 0350 CDT, with the fuel selector on the right fuel tank. About 2 hours into the flight, the fuel selector was switched to the left tank, and when the airplane was about 30 nautical miles from FWS, the fuel selector was switched back to the right tank. The pilot maneuvered the airplane onto the final approach for runway 18 at FWS, and when he was about ½ mile from the runway threshold, at an altitude of about 200 ft agl, he attempted to increase engine power, but the engine did not respond. He ensured that the fuel mixture was set to full rich and switched the fuel selector back to the left tank, but the engine still did not respond. The pilot reported that he used pitch to maintain the airplane’s approach speed and landed the airplane. During the landing, the airplane struck the localizer antenna array that was about 1,000 ft north of the runway 18 threshold. The airplane touched down in the grass area between the antenna array and the runway. The right main landing gear collapsed, the left elevator was torn from aircraft, and the right horizontal stabilizer structure was bent upward and aft during the accident sequence. According to flight track information, the flight lasted 4 hours and 10 minutes. Postaccident examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the right fuel tank did not contain a usable quantity of fuel. No other preimpact anomalies were detected that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N36X](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N36X), registered now, S/N 21061650, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA T210 (M) - Registry model: [Cessna T210M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210m) (registry code 2073451) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21061650 - Year built: 1976 - Airframe hours: 4256 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520 310 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Executive/Corporate, Part 91 - Operator: Archangel Aviation LLC - Registered owner: Archangel Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 15, 2022 - Departed: CSG, Columbus, GA - Destination: FWS, Burleson, TX - Airport: FWS, Fort Worth Spinks, runway 18, 6,002 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 546 total, 2,014 in this make and model, 456 as pilot in command, 72 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 110° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: KFWS - METAR: METAR KFWS 280115Z AUTO 11006KT 10SM CLR 18/06 A2995 RMK AO2 T01830062= ## 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 20221027022309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221027022309A), Oct 27, 2022: Cessna T210M, Burleson, TX, Substantial damage. The flight originated in columbus ga at kcsg at 4:55 EDT. At approximately 1/2 to 3/4 mile final to fws runway 18R, 300 feet AGL, the engine quit. The pilot… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106222. 1.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16416920&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photos (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 200 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16627059&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf - Memorandum of conversation with pilot (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 95 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16627069&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20with%20Pilot-Rel.pdf - Memorandum or conversation with FAA inspector (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16628998&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20with%20FAA-Rel.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.