- Date
- May 7, 1989, 20:00 local (May 8, 1989, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Imperial, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N30678Cessna 210T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890507011069A
- Case key
- 26400
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 pilots inaccurate fuel consumption calculations along with the decision to depart with inadequate fuel to insure landing at his proposed destination which resulted in fuel exhaustion. The rough/uneven terrain on which the landing was made contributed to the severity of the accident.
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 stops for fuel and fuel being unavailable at both airports, the pilot departed for a third airport 12 miles north. While on final approach to Imperial airport, the engine lost power and the aircraft was landed short of the runway. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the fuel system was exhausted of fuel. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30678
- Reported as
- Cessna 210T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21059955
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-H3A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Daniel S. Cosgrove
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 4, 1989 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- CXL · Calexico, CA
- Destination
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ipl · Imperial
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 356 total · 32 in this make and model · 310 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.