- Date
- August 10, 2007, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3794YCessna 210 D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070810020109A
- Case key
- 66617
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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane made a forced landing after a loss of engine power while turning left base for a touch and go landing. The pilot reported that he estimated that the fuel remaining in the airplane after a previous flight was about 20 to 30 gallons, all in the left fuel tank. He reported, "I had run rt. [right] tank out of fuel and left remaining fuel in lt. [left] tank." He reported that during the preflight, the fuel gauges indicated that the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank was full. The pilot reported that a ladder was not available so he did not visually check the fuel in the tanks. He reported that he had planned to do three takeoffs and landings. He reported that he departed on the first takeoff and while turning a left base for runway 32, the engine lost power. He attempted an engine restart but without success. He executed a forced landing to a cornfield. The inspection of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. When the battery was turned on, the left fuel gauge indicated full and the right fuel gauge indicated no fuel.
Factual narrative
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a loss of engine power while turning left base for a touch and go landing. The pilot reported that he estimated that the fuel remaining in the airplane after a previous flight was about 20 to 30 gallons, all in the left fuel tank. He reported, "I had run rt. [right] tank out of fuel and left remaining fuel in lt. [left] tank." He reported that during the preflight, the fuel gauges indicated that the left fuel tank was empty, and the right fuel tank was full. The pilot reported that a ladder was not available so he did not visually check the fuel in the tanks.
He reported that he had planned to do three takeoff and landings. He reported that he departed on the first takeoff and while turning a left base for runway 32, the engine quit. He attempted an engine restart but without success. He executed a forced landing to a cornfield.
The inspection of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. When the battery was turned on, the left fuel gauge indicated full and the right tank indicated no fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3794Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 210 D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058294
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Neal R. Nagel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FWA · Fort Wayne, IN
- Airport
- FWA · Fort Wayne, runway 32
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 3,350 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.