FTW93LA082

The airplane experienced a total power loss while in cruise flight on a dark night VFR flight. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and after manually lowering the gear, executed a forced landing into a muddy plowed field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. Subsequent examination revealed that the fuel tanks were empty, except for unusable fuel. There was no tank compromise or fuel spillage at the site or evidence of leakage on the airframe or wings. The pilot stated that the airplane had been topped off with 56 gallons of fuel about 1.2 hours prior to the accident. The engine subsequently was test run and operated normally.

On Tuesday, February 9, 1993, at approximately 2300 central standard time, a Cessna 210D, N3876Y, was substantially damaged when the nose gear collapsed during a forced landing near Hillsboro, Texas. The forced landing was executed following a complete loss of engine power. The airplane, owned by a private individual and loaned to the commercial pilot, was on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries.

At 0003, the Hill County Sheriff's Office received a complaint from a citizen who stated that a "suspicious person" had come to his front door. Upon arrival at the residence, the Sheriff's deputy found the pilot who said he had crashed his airplane in a nearby field and that he had lost fuel pressure. At first, the pilot refused medical treatment, however, due to his apparent injuries and his disoriented state, the deputy elected to call an EMS unit and have him transported to the hospital. He was taken to the Hill County Hospital where he was treated and released. The deputy stated that he smelled alcohol on the pilot and felt that he was intoxicated. Attempts by the NTSB and FAA to locate the pilot have been unsuccessful to date.

Examination of the airplane indicated it had landed in a muddy plowed field and that the nose gear had collapsed and it nosed over. One gallon of fuel was found in the right tank and 2 gallons were found in the left tank. There was no evidence of tank compromise or fuel spills at the site.