- Date
- May 31, 1994, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pahokee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N76GHCessna 210L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940531017699A
- Case key
- 37554
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 improper positioning of the fuel selector valve by the pilot-in-command which caused an engine failure due to fuel starvation at an altitude too low for restart procedures.
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
The pilot was practicing an instrument approach with a safety observer. He stated the engine failed and he attempted to restart it unsuccessfully. He then executed a forced landing to a lake. The airplane was recovered and the right tank had no fuel and the left tank had 18 gallons. The fuel selector was found in the left position. The engine was dried and the engine ran on both the right and left tank selector positions with fuel provided to the lines.
Factual narrative
On May 31, 1994, about 1215 eastern daylight time, N76GH, a Cessna 210L registered to Mercy Flight Inc., crashed in Pahokee, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and an observer reported no injuries. The flight had originated about 1 hour earlier.
The pilot stated that the engine failed about 1,500 feet msl and his attempt to restart it was unsuccessful. He then ditched the airplane in Lake Okeechobee about 1/2 mile from the Pahokee Airport, Pahokee, Florida.
The airplane fuel system was examined after recovery and the right tank contained no fuel and was full of water, and the left tank contained about 18 gallons of fuel and the rest was water. The fuel selector was found on the left tank position. The airplane was taken to a local airport, water was drained from the engine and the magnetos and sparkplugs were air dried. A 5-gallon fuel can was mounted on the roof of the cabin and was connected to both fuel lines from the wing. The engine was started and ran on both the left and right fuel selector positions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76GH
- Reported as
- Cessna 210L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61532
- Airframe hours
- 1,868
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-L, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mercy Flight Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mercy Flight Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1994 · 48 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,210 total · 70 in this make and model · 988 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 32 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.