# NTSB DEN05LA008: Cessna 210M, N732TE, Salida, CO, October 10, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 9, 2004, 18:10 local (Oct 10, 2004, 00:10 UTC) - Place: Salida, CO - Coordinates: 38.549999, -106.047225 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5500&lon=-106.0472&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 5 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 24, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 60314 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN05LA008 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60314/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05LA008 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which failed to determine the fuel supply was inadequate resulting in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power. ## Analysis The pilot-rated passenger aboard the accident flight -- the pilot's flight instructor -- had flown the airplane to their vacation spot the previous week. The pilot followed in an automobile carrying a week's worth of supplies. The pilot estimated the instructor had 45 gallons of fuel on board when he departed. The first leg of ther trip took 1 hour, 20 minutes. There, the instructor purchased 40 gallons of fuel. The last leg took 1 hour, 10 minutes. When they prepared to return home, the pilot asked his flight instructor if he had purchased any fuel. The instructor thought he was referring to gasoline purchased for the houseboat, and he replied he had purchased 60 gallons. The pilot said that when they took off, he thought he had more fuel on board than there actually was. The takeoff and climb to 11,500 feet was made on the left tank. After 30 minutes, he switched to the right tank. Knowing the right fuel gauge was unreliable, he drew fuel from the right tank until it ran dry about 1 hour later. He switched back to the left tank and climbed to 13,500 feet. The airplane had now been in the air approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes. Ten to 15 minutes later, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The left fuel gauge indicated 1/3 full. All attempts to restore engine power were to no avail. He turned and glided towards an airport. When he turned final for runway 24, he lost sight of the runway because the sun was in his eyes. He selected a field and touched down 1/4-mile to the right runway centerline and 1 mile short of the runway. The landing gear was torn off and the empennage was extensively damage. The left wing struck a fence post and breached the fuel tank. Fuel leaked from the tank, "but not a whole lot." The pilot said he used an average fuel consumption rate of 15 gallons per hour fuel when making endurance and range calculations. He estimated he had an hour's worth of fuel on board plus reserves. Later, he admitted the engine most likely post power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Factual narrative On October 9, 2004, approximately 1810 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 210M, N732TE, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when the it struck a fence and terrain during a forced landing 1 mile east of Harriet Alexander Field (04V), Salida, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross-country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, pilot-rated passenger, and three other passengers on board the airplane were not injured. The flight originated from Bullfrog Basin, Utah, approximately 1630. The following is based on a telephone conversation and the accident report submitted by the pilot: The pilot-rated passenger aboard the accident flight -- the pilot's flight instructor -- had flown the airplane from Colorado Springs to Bullfrog Basin via Montrose, Colorado, the previous week. The pilot followed in an automobile carrying a week's worth of supplies. The pilot estimated the instructor had 45 gallons of fuel on board when he departed Colorado Springs. The flight to Montrose lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes. At Montrose, the instructor purchased 40 gallons of fuel. The flight from Montrose to Bullfrog Basin took 1 hour, 10 minutes. Prior to departing Bullfrog Basin, the pilot asked his flight instructor if he had purchased any fuel. The instructor thought he was referring to gasoline purchased for the houseboat, and he replied he had purchased 60 gallons. The pilot said that when they took off from Bullfrog Basin, he thought he had more fuel on board than there actually was. The takeoff and climb to 11,500 feet was made on the left tank. After 30 minutes, he switched to the right tank. Knowing the right fuel gauge was unreliable, he drew fuel from the right tank until it ran dry about 1 hour later. At this point, the airplane was 10 miles west on Monarch Pass. He switched back to the left tank and climbed to 13,500 feet. The airplane had now been in the air approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes. Ten to 15 minutes later, after he had passed over Salida, Colorado, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The left fuel gauge indicated 1/3 full. All attempts to restore engine power were to no avail. He turned and glided towards the Salida airport. When he turned final for runway 24, he lost sight of the runway because the sun was in his eyes. He selected a field and touched down 1/4-mile to the right runway centerline and 1 mile short of the runway. The landing gear was torn off and the empennage was extensively damaged. The left wing struck a fence post and breached the fuel tank. Fuel leaked from the tank, "but not a whole lot." The pilot said he used an average fuel consumption rate of 15 gallons per hour fuel when making endurance and range calculations. He estimated he had an hour's worth of fuel on board plus reserves. Later, he admitted the engine most likely post power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fuel supply - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - engine instruments,fuel quantity gage - unreliable - Forced landing, descent - emergency - emergency procedure - attempted, pilot in command - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - none suitable - object - fence post ## Aircraft - Registration: [N732TE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N732TE-2005-01-21), registration cancelled 2005-01-21, S/N 21061755, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 210M - Registry model: [Cessna 210M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210m) (registry code 2073450) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21061755 - Airframe hours: 6748 - Engines: Continental IO-520-L 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Caesar Air LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 16, 2004, 5 hours before - Departed: U07, Bullfrog Basin, UT - Destination: COS, Colorado Spring, CO - Airport: 0V2, Harriet Alexander, runway 24, 7,350 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 18, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 1,440 total, 990 in this make and model, 1,290 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 11,000 total, 850 in this make and model, 10,500 as pilot in command, 80 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: U07, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20041009026139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041009026139A), Oct 9, 2004: Cessna 210M, Salida, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) N732TE was enroute from bullfrog bay (lake powell) to cos with a private pilot and 4 passengers on board. The first 30 minutes was flown on the left tank… 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.