DEN04CA096

The pilot said that after an uneventful flight, he was cleared to land on runway 30. While on final approach, the engine lost power and he made a forced landing in a field 1-1/2 mile short of the runway. The airplane struck a fiber optics cable, then touched down in the field, went through a fence, and struck a 3-foot wide, 2-1/2-foot deep irrigation ditch. The landing gear was sheared, and the nose gear penetrated the cabin floor. The bottom half of the engine cowling was crushed, the left wing tip was torn off, the engine mounts were broken, and the vertical stabilizer was dented. A similar accounting was given in his written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (copy attached). Postaccident examination revealed that the bolt and nut that attaches the throttle control cable to the fuel induction was missing. Examination of the aircraft maintenance records revealed on April 1, 2004, the engine was removed from the airframe and inspected for metal contamination. Engine removal would necessitate detaching the throttle control cable from the fuel induction.

On July 3, 2004, at 1341 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210J, N2KD, co-registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence and drainage ditch during an off-airport forced landing at Cheyenne, Wyoming. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Sycamore Strip (9F9), Fort Worth, Texas, approximately 1120 central daylight time, and was en route to Cheyenne (CYS).

In a telephone interview, the pilot said that after an uneventful flight from Texas, he was cleared to land on runway 30. While on final approach, the engine lost power and he made a forced landing in a field 1-1/2 mile short of the runway. The airplane struck a fiber optics cable, then touched down in the field, went through a fence, and struck a 3-foot wide, 2-1/2-foot deep irrigation ditch. The landing gear was sheared, and the nose gear penetrated the cabin floor. The bottom half of the engine cowling was crushed, the left wing tip was torn off, the engine mounts were broken, and the vertical stabilizer was dented. A similar accounting was given in his written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (copy attached).

Post-accident examination by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that the bolt and nut that attaches the throttle control cable to the fuel induction was missing. Examination of the aircraft maintenance records revealed on April 1, 2004, the engine was removed from the airframe and inspected for metal contamination. Engine removal would necessitate detaching the throttle control cable from the fuel induction. The engine was reinstalled and a 100-hour/annual inspection was accomplished.