- Date
- December 14, 1996, 13:58 local (18:58 UTC)
- Place
- Charlottesville, VA
- Injuries
- 3 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1929MCessna T210M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961214039379A
- Case key
- 39309
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's miscalculation of fuel consumption and his inadequate in-flight decision making, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
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
While en route at 11,500 feet msl, the pilot encountered 'severe' headwinds and decided to divert to Charlottesville to refuel. About 2 to 3 minutes into his descent for Charlottesville, the engine lost power. The pilot switched from the left to right fuel tank and power was restored; however, later at 4,500 feet msl, a second power loss occurred. Unable to glide to the airport, the pilot executed a forced landing to a cow pasture, about 1 mile short the airport. FAA examination of the airplane revealed both fuel tanks were empty. The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented by 'proper fuel calculating along with a fuel computer installed, because of the frequency-distances-complexity of the average mission.'
Factual narrative
On December 14, 1996, about 1358 eastern standard time, a Cessna T210M, N1929M, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a forced landed near Charlottesville, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and two passenger were not injured; three passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed Greenville, South Carolina, destined for Leesburg, Virginia, and conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, while en route at 11,500 feet msl, he encountered "severe" headwinds and decided to divert to Charlottesville to refuel because "I don't ever like going below 10 gallons per side." The pilot reported that 2 to 3 minutes into his descent for Charlottesville, the engine lost power. He switched from the left to right fuel tank and power was restored; however, at 4,500 feet msl, a second loss of power occurred. Unable to glide to the airport, the pilot executed a forced landing to a cow pasture, about 1 mile short of the airport.
FAA examination of the airplane revealed the fuel tanks were empty.
The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented by "proper fuel calculating along with a fuel computer installed because of the frequency-distances-complexity of the average mission."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1929M
- Reported as
- Cessna T210M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21061966
- Airframe hours
- 2,171
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- L And B Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1996 · 268 hours before
- Departed
- 7A1 · Greenville, SC
- Destination
- JYO · Leesburg, VA
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,453 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 1,384 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 40 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.