# NTSB MIA98LA083: Cessna T210N, N1734U, Covington, GA, February 23, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 23, 1998, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Covington, GA - Location: 33.6054° N, 83.8466° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Covington, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6054&lon=-83.8466&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 30, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38460 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA98LA083 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38460/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA083 ## Probable cause the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and/or improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Soft/wet terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor. ## Analysis The pilot experienced a total loss of engine power and made a forced landing in a grassy field. During touch down, the nose wheel sheared off, the nose strut dug into soft terrain, and the airplane nosed-over. FAA investigators found empty fuel tanks and no evidence of fuel spillage. The pilot stated, in part, 'I do believe it was fuel exhaustion...' ## Factual narrative On February 23, 1998, about 1230 eastern standard time, a Cessna T-210N, N1734U, registered to Stegnor Electric Controls, Inc., operating as a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of engine power while on approach to Covington Municipal Airport, Georgia. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The instrument rated private pilot made a forced landing to a marshy grass field short of the airport. The airplane received substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Florida, about 3 hours before the accident. Covington Municipal was a diversion from the original destination of Marietta's Cobb County- McCollum Field, Georgia. The pilot stated that he encountered different en route winds than forecast, and became concerned about his fuel consumption. The pilot requested and was cleared by Atlanta ARTCC to the Covington airport, and had been handed off to Atlanta Approach Control who was radar monitoring his self-contained GPS approach when he declared he had run out of fuel. He touched down about 2 miles short of the runway that sheared the nose wheel, the nose strut dug into soft terrain, and the airplane nosed-over. Inspection of the wreckage by FAA investigators revealed empty fuel tanks, and no evidence of any fuel spillage at the crash site. The airplane was transported to Allen Aero Service, Inc., Jackson County Airport, Jefferson, Georgia, on February 24, 1998, where the engine was started. The engine run was satisfactory, limited only by the amount of power used due to the bent propeller. The pilot stated that at his origination FBO, Air Combs of Fort Lauderdale, he had ordered N1734U to be fueled "to the bottom of the intake tube" rather than full tanks. He further stated, "I do believe it was fuel exhaustion, I thought I had enough fuel during the planning stage, but that was not the case." ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, approach - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fuel management - improper, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency landing - terrain condition - grass - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) - terrain condition - wet (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1734U](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1734U), registered now, S/N 21064735, built 1982 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna T210N - Registry model: [Cessna T210N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210n) (registry code 2073456) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21064735 - Airframe hours: 2350 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520-R11 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Theodore Arens, doing business as Stegnor Electric Controls Inc. - Registered owner: Stegnor Electric Controls, Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 3, 1997, 125 hours before - Departed: FLL, FT LAUDERDALE, FL - Destination: RYY, MARIETTA, GA - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: 9A1, Covington Municipal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 1,300 total, 500 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 6 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,100 ft broken - Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: AHN, 31 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980223001689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980223001689A), Feb 23, 1998: Cessna T210N, Covington, GA, Substantial damage. Head winds. Diverted 9AI for fuel. Fuel depleted on VOR approach. Broke out nosed over in field off airport. (.4)the pilot experienced a total loss of engine… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.