LAX05LA136

The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and collided with a truck while performing a forced landing on an interstate highway. The pilot stated that prior to landing he switched the fuel selector to the fullest tank. He scanned the cockpit gauges (including the cylinder head temperature gauge) and noted no anomalies. As the airplane descended to pattern altitude he added throttle to maintain level flight. While pushing the throttle control forward, with the manifold pressure gauge showing about 20 inches, the engine sputtered and subsequently experienced a total loss of power. With the airplane at a low altitude, he realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport, and he began searching for the best terrain to perform an emergency landing. Being in a congested area, he opted to land in the grassy median between freeway lanes. The airplane collided with a truck during the forced landing. The airplane was last flown 3 days prior to the accident and afterward the fuel tanks were filled to capacity. Post accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction of failure.

History of flight

On April 13, 2005, about 1055 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210M, N732SY, experienced a loss of engine power and collided with a semi-truck while performing a forced landing on Interstate 17 in Phoenix, Arizona. Caddo Investments, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed the North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, at an unknown time, with a planned destination of Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) conducted a telephone interview with a pilot/witness who was flying his airplane behind the accident airplane. He stated that while he was on a 3-mile base leg in the traffic pattern for runway 07L, the accident pilot transmitted over the radio that he wanted to declare an emergency. The tower controller informed the pilot that he could land on any runway he desired and began diverting the airplanes that were in the vicinity away from the runways. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported that he was not going to make it to the airport.

Two witnesses reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that prior to impact, the airplane's engine was emitting black smoke. An additional witness, who reported seeing the airplane during the accident sequence, stated that he did not observe any smoke.

The Safety Board IIC interviewed the pilot about a month after the accident. He stated that as the airplane entered the 20-mile vicinity from the airport, he switched the fuel selector to the fullest tank. He scanned the cockpit gauges (including the cylinder head temperature gauge) and noted no anomalies. As the airplane descended to pattern altitude he manipulated the throttle control in effort to maintain level flight. While pushing the throttle control forward, with the manifold gauge showing about 20 inches, the engine sputtered and quit. With the airplane at such a low altitude, he realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport, and he began searching for the best terrain to perform an emergency landing. Being in a congested area, he opted to land in the grassy median between the freeway lanes. The pilot further stated that he did not observe or smell smoke during the accident sequence.

Aircraft information

The Cessna T210M, serial number 21061749, was manufactured in 1977. According to the aircraft maintenance records and the recording tachometer in the cockpit, it had accumulated a total time in service of 3,731.5 hours. The most recent annual inspection was recorded as completed on September 08, 2004, corresponding to 60.5 flight hours prior to the accident. According to the maintenance records, the Continental TSIO-520-R engine, serial number 512130, was the original Cessna factory installation in the airframe and had accumulated a total time equal to that recorded for the airframe. A review of the engine logbook disclosed that a top overhaul and annual inspection was entered as completed on September 08, 2004, coinciding with the annual inspection recorded in the airframe record.

The co-owner of the airplane confirmed that a notebook found in the wreckage was a flight activity log. A review was completed of all the entries in the notebook. Each line entry contained a recorded date, airport identifiers, tachometer times, and a total trip time. The last entry made was dated April 10, 2005. The entry indicated that a 3.1-hour trip was completed, ending at a tachometer time of 3,729.4 hours, 2.1 hours prior to the accident. A notation on the last entry indicated that 1 quart of oil was added at that time. A discrepancy was noted on the September 07, 2004, entry, which stated that the "fuel remaining doesn't seem to work."

The gravity fed fuel system is designed for fuel to flow from both of the integral wing tanks through a fuel line, until reaching two separate reservoir tanks (located under the cockpit area). The fuel continues from the reservoir tanks to a fuel selector value, which the pilot can manipulate via a lever inside the cockpit (the lever is connected to the selector by means of a single shaft). The fuel selector positions are as follows: LEFT ON, OFF, and RIGHT ON; when moving to either tank, the selector passes through the OFF position. The fuel will continue to flow through a strainer to the engine driven fuel pump, bypassing the auxiliary fuel pump (when it is not in operation). The fuel will then be pumped to the air/fuel control-metering unit and directed to the spider valve where it is evenly dispersed into each cylinder through a fuel injection nozzle.

A review of the fueling records at the North Las Vegas Airport disclosed that the last documented fueling of the airplane occurred on April 10, 2005, with the addition of 60.57 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline.

Tests and research

An examination of the wreckage was conducted on April 26, 2005, by Safety Board investigators and representatives from both Cessna Aircraft and Teledyne Continental Motors at Air Transport, Phoenix.

Airframe

As viewed at the wreckage facility, the airframe was segmented into three main sections, after being severed for recovery purposes.

The cabin structure consisted of the cockpit area from the leading edge of the wings, aft to the bottom of the rear window frame. Both wings remained attached to the structure. The firewall and instrument panel were separated from the airframe and both front seats were detached from their corresponding rails. The main landing gear, still attached to the airframe, was extended. The nose gear separated from the airframe.

A portion of the empennage, encompassing the airframe from the aft baggage compartment bulkhead to the tail section area, contained several navigation equipment boxes as well as the emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The control cables in this section were cut during the wreckage recovery. The control cables were intact and positioned along their typical runs. Investigators noted no anomalies.

The tail section remained intact with all control surfaces attached at their respective hinges. Investigators manipulated the severed cables in the tail cone (cut during recovery), revealing that both the rudder and elevator control surfaces moved individually when a pull force was applied to it's corresponding cable. Investigators measured the trim tab actuator to be positioned at 1.5 inches, which the Cessna representative attributed to correspond to the neutral position.

The right wing exhibited aft crush deformation to the leading edge, extending across the entire wingspan uniformly. The crush was 90 degrees to the chord line with the leading edge appearing to have folded into itself, giving it an accordioned form. The crushed aluminum leading edge surface revealed blue color streaks, which were visually similar in color to the painted wood atop the truck that the airplane collided into.

The left wing remained intact and did not appear to sustain any deformation. On the upper surface of the wing, investigators noted a dark stain from the forward lip of an inboard fuel bladder inspection panel continuing aft several inches, consistent with the airflow direction.

Investigators established flight control continuity from both ailerons to their respective doorpost, where the cables were cut. The wing flap actuator jackscrew measured 1.6 inches, which according to the Cessna representative, corresponded to a flap extension of about 20 degrees.

The instrument panel and adjacent cockpit area (forward of the seat rails), was severely impact damaged and fragmented. The examination of the instrument gauges disclosed a ta