- Date
- August 31, 1989, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Westerly, RI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N873PJCessna 210N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890831033149A
- Case key
- 36471
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-in-command's failure to properly ensure a sufficient quantity of fuel for the intended flight.
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-in-command did not visual check the fuel in the fuel tanks but determined that the right tank was empty and the left tank had 20 gallons remaining through the fuel totalizer and the mechanic's word. During a steep climbout the engine missed and the pilot-in-command selected left tank and turned the fuel boost pump switch on. Ten minutes later the engine stopped completely and the pilot-in-command was forced to land in the ocean. The airplane sank and was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N873PJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 210N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 210064769
- Airframe hours
- 750
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nicholas A. Heineman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 1989 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- BID · Block Island, RI
- Destination
- WST · Westerly, RI
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,476 total · 940 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 20 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.