- Date
- October 28, 1990, 18:30 local (Oct 29, 1990, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buena Vista, CO
- Injuries
- 4 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N621BDCessna T-210-M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 18052
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 misjudged the fuel supply resulting in fuel exhaustion.
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 private pilot was flying five passengers on a round trip cross country flight. According to the passengers, they paid the pilot for the flight. The pilot said he took off with what he estimated was 64 gallons of fuel. Two hours and twenty five minutes later, he reported that the plane was out of fuel, and he attempted an engine out landing to runway 33. The plane landed 400 feet short of the runway, struck a fence, sheared the nose gear, and nosed over. The plane came to rest inverted 40 yards short of the runway. Both wings, the cabin and fuselage were substantially damaged. The rescue personnel and law officers on the scene reported the tanks were empty and no fuel spill was found at the accident scene. The investigation found no fuel in the engine system, and could find no evidence to explain any increased fuel usage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N621BD
- Reported as
- Cessna T-210-M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 210-61969
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Denver Air Center
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 7V1 · Buena Vista, runway 33, 9,000 × 48 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 425 total · 18 in this make and model · 342 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F