- Date
- April 30, 1999, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bay City, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9404XCessna 210A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 12, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990430020159A
- Case key
- 46215
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 inadequate management of fuel and his failure to follow the pre-landing checklist resulting in the loss of engine power as a result of fuel starvation. Factors were the pilot's physiological condition and the lack of suitable terrain 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
While on a cross-country flight, the pilot became physically impaired by stomach pains and diverted to a nearby airport to use the restroom. The pilot forgot to switch fuel tanks during the pre-landing check and on downwind, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank and turned on the fuel pump; however, the propeller stopped windmilling and the pilot was unable to restart the engine. During the forced landing in a field, the airplane impacted a 5 foot drainage ditch.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1999, approximately 1530 central daylight time, a Cessna 210A airplane, N9404X, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Bay City, Texas. The private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal cross-country flight. The flight originated from Freer, Texas, at 1400 and was en route to Baytown, Texas.
During a telephone interview conducted by the investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that after departing Freer, Texas, he "started experiencing stomach pains and needed to use the restroom." He elected to land at the Bay City Municipal Airport near Bay City, instead of continuing to Baytown. The pilot added that he forgot to switch his tanks during his pre-landing check, and on downwind the engine lost power. The pilot switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank and turned on the fuel pump; however, the propeller stopped windmilling and he was unable to restart the engine.
The pilot landed the airplane in a field approximately two miles northwest of the Bay City Airport. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a 5 foot drainage ditch resulting in the left main gear and nose gear separating. The horizontal stabilizer was twisted, and the engine fire wall was damaged.
The FAA inspector examined the aircraft in the field and reported that the left fuel tank was empty and the right fuel tank contained approximately 5 gallons of fuel. There was evidence of a "small" fuel spill at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9404X
- Reported as
- Cessna 210A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21057704
- Airframe hours
- 2,445
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-E, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles A. Parker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 14, 1999 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- T19 · Freer, TX
- Destination
- HPY · Baytown, TX
- Airport
- 3R1 · Bay City, runway 13, 5,100 × 75 ft
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,101 total · 148 in this make and model · 1,001 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.