- Date
- May 21, 2006, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Weslaco, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N731RRCessna P210N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- San Antonio, Texas
- FAA report
- 20060521008739A
- Case key
- 63721
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 loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain available to the pilot for the forced landing,
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 954-hour private pilot was on a 24-mile ferry flight when the single-engine airplane lost engine power, approximately 3.5 miles from the destination airport. According to a written statement, the pilot reported that he switched to the left fuel tank and turned on the electric fuel pump, and the engine began to "run again." The pilot elected to climb to 1,500 feet and headed directly to the runway; however, approximately 2 miles from the runway the engine lost power again. The pilot made a mayday call and prepared for a forced landing in an open field short of the airport. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained structural damage. Prior to his departure, the pilot reported that the fuel gauges were showing 13 gallons of fuel in each tank; however, he did not visually check the fuel amount. The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident scene, examined the airplane and found no fuel in the airplane's fuel lines or tanks.
Factual narrative
The 954-hour private pilot was on a 24-mile ferry flight when the single-engine airplane lost engine power, approximately 3.5 miles from the destination airport. According to a written statement, the pilot reported that he switched to the left fuel tank and turned on the electric fuel pump, and the engine began to "run again." The pilot elected to climb to 1,500 feet and headed directly to the runway; however, approximately 2 miles from the runway the engine lost power again. The pilot made a mayday call and prepared for a forced landing in an open field short of the airport. During the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained structural damage. Prior to his departure, the pilot reported that the fuel gauges were showing 13 gallons of fuel in each tank; however, he did not visually check the fuel amount. The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident scene, examined the airplane and found no fuel in the airplane's fuel lines or tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N731RR
- Reported as
- Cessna P210N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P21000538
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alejandro Rodriquez
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MFE · Mc Allen, TX
- Destination
- T65 · Weslaco, TX
- Airport
- T65 · Mid Valley Airport, runway 13, 4,998 × 70 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 954 total · 120 in this make and model · 930 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- MFE, 15 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 N731RR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.