- Date
- November 30, 2003, 11:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Deming, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N81PCCessna T210K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20031130033599A
- Case key
- 58395
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 pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision. Factors contributing to the accident were fuel exhaustion and the fence.
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 pilot was on approach to the airport. At 5 nautical miles from the airport, the airplane was approximately 4,000 feet above ground level. The pilot lowered the landing gear, set 30 degrees of flaps, and initiated several "S" turns to lose altitude. The pilot said that at 2 miles from the runway, he switched his fuel selector to the right fuel tank, which had more fuel. The pilot continued the "S" turns until he was 1/3 mile from the end of the runway. When he applied power to level off, there was no response. The pilot selected a field to the right of his final approach course. The airplane touched down approximately 20 feet short of his intended field. The airplane struck a wrought iron fence, collapsing the nose gear and the left main landing gear. An examination of the engine showed no evidence of fuel in the fuel distribution manifold or fuel lines. An examination of the fuel tanks showed some fuel in the right fuel tank. An examination of the airplane's, engine controls and remaining systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On November 30, 2003, at approximately 1135 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210K, N81PC, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a forced landing near Deming, New Mexico. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal, cross-country flight from Oakland, California, to Deming, New Mexico, was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight originated at 0500 Pacific standard time.
The pilot reported he was on approach into the Deming Municipal Airport (DMN). At 5 nautical miles from the airport, the airplane was approximately 4,000 feet above ground level. The pilot lowered the landing gear, 30 degrees of flaps, and initiated several "S" turns to lose altitude. The pilot said that at 2 miles from the runway, he switched his fuel selector to the right fuel tank, which had more fuel. The pilot continued the "S" turns until he was 1/3 mile from the end of the runway. When he applied power to level off, there was no response. The pilot selected a field to the right of his final approach course. The airplane touched down approximately 20 feet short of his intended field. The airplane struck a wrought iron fence, collapsing the nose gear and the left main landing gear.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the upper and lower cowlings. The firewall was crushed upward and bent aft. The propeller blades were bent aft at mid-span. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine showed no evidence of fuel in the fuel distribution manifold or fuel lines. An examination of the fuel tanks showed some fuel in the right fuel tank. An examination of the airplane's, engine controls and remaining systems revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81PC
- Reported as
- Cessna T210K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T210K59381
- Airframe hours
- 5,320.3
- Engine
- Continental TSIO520R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John H. Austin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 4, 2003 · 163.7 hours before
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- DMN · Deming, NM
- Airport
- DMN · Deming Municipal Airport, runway 8, 6,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- January 15, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,787 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 5,637 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- DMN, 1 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.
Other investigations on N81PC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.