- Date
- February 3, 1994, 17:21 local (23:21 UTC)
- Place
- Mcallen, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6914RCessna T210H
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940203001439A
- Case key
- 18996
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 inadvertent stall of the airplane. Factors were the pilot's failure to refuel and the resultant 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
After making two missed approaches to the corpus christi, Texas, airport, the pilot diverted to Mcallen, TX, his alternate. Shortly after joining the localizer, the engine lost power. According to the pilot, both fuel gauges indicated 1/4 fuel in each tank. The pilot made an intentional wheels up forced landing in an open field 8 miles northwest of the airport. He inadvertently stalled the airplane 25 feet above the ground. The pilot said he had flown 4.0 hours and the airplane had an endurance of 5.5 hours. Salvage personnel and an FAA inspector reported finding no fuel in the tanks. When the wings were demated from the fuselage, no fuel came out of the fuel lines.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 1994, approximately 1721 central standard time, a Cessna T210H, N6914R, was destroyed during a forced landing about 8 miles northwest of the McAllen, Texas, Airport. The pilot received minor injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot missed two instrument approaches to the Corpus Christi, Texas, Airport, so he diverted to McAllen, Texas, his alternate. Shortly after intercepting the localizer course at McAllen, the engine lost power. The pilot said both fuel gauges indicated 1/4 fuel in each tank. He declared an emergency and, after emerging from the overcast, elected to land wheels up in an open field about 8 miles northwest of the airport. He inadvertently stalled the airplane 25 feet above the ground. The pilot said he had flown 4.0 hours and the airplane had an endurance of 5.5 hours.
Salvage personnel and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who went to the site reported the fuel tanks had not been compromised, and there was no fuel in the tanks. In addition, when the wings were demated from the fuselage, no fuel came out of the fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6914R
- Reported as
- Cessna T210H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T210-0314
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Baker, Mark & Curtis, Jerry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ADS · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MFE · Mcallen International
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 389 total · 58 in this make and model · 297 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MFE, 8 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.