- Date
- May 14, 1994, 18:57 local (23:57 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, IA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6737BCessna T210M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940514010889A
- Case key
- 9528
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
fuel exhaustion resulting from the failure of the pilot to refuel en route.
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
On a cross country flight the pilot instructed the lineman at lamar, Colorado to fill both tanks to 1 inch below the top of the tank. The pilot did not dip the tanks and based his fuel calculations on a presumed amount of fuel in the airplane. The flight departed lamar with a destination of peoria, Illinois. The engine had a total loss of power, and a forced landing was made near Burlington, Iowa, 60 miles short of the intended destination. There was no fuel in the right tank, and 3 ounces were recovered from the left tank.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1994, about 1857 central daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N6737B, was destroyed when it collided with trees during a forced landing near Burlington Airport, Burlington, Iowa. The airline transport certificated pilot was seriously injured, one passenger received serious injuries, and two passengers received minor injuries. The personal flight originated at Lamar, Colorado, at 1330 mountain daylight time, with an intended destination of Peoria, Illinois. An IFR flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The pilot stated he instructed the lineman at Lamar to fill both tanks to 1 inch below the top. He never dipped the tanks after they were fueled, and all fuel calculations were made on an approximate amount of fuel. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan while airborne, at 1736. At 1808, he was cleared direct to Peoria.
After crossing over Burlington, Iowa, the pilot stated he was preparing for the ILS approach to Peoria when the engine lost power. He switched tanks and restored the power to the engine, and noticed that both tanks indicated empty. At 1845, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan and requested vectors to the nearest airport. At this time, he also reported to air traffic control that he had a "sick passenger" on board. Air traffic control provided him vectors to the Burlington Airport. At 1855, the pilot broadcast a mayday with an engine failure.
The pilot made a forced landing 5 miles southeast of the Burlington Airport. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no fuel in the right tank, and approximately 3 ounces of fuel in the left tank. The fuel selector was on the left tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6737B
- Reported as
- Cessna T210M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21062827
- Airframe hours
- 4,303
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carl L. Meiner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1994 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- LAA · Lamar, CO
- Destination
- PIA · Peoria, IL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,900 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BRL, 5 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.