- Date
- August 7, 1995, 08:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bliss, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8273MCessna T210K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950807046979A
- Case key
- 42214
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 failure to properly manage the fuel system to avoid running a tank dry at a low altitude. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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 departed on a slug habitat survey flight at 0700 with the left fuel tank topped (44.3 gallons) and the right tank selected (25 gallons). 1.3 hours later, at approximately 700 feet AGL, the engine stopped when the fuel in the right tank was exhausted. The pilot switched to the full left tank and attempted a restart. The restart was not successful within the altitude/time available, and the pilot executed a forced landing into a corn field which was the best available landing site. During the landing roll the aircraft's nose wheel crossed a deep rut and separated, and the aircraft nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 1995, approximately 0820 hours mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210K, N8273M, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing in a corn field following a total loss of power while in cruise near Bliss, Idaho. The commercial pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight, which was for aerial observation, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Boise, Idaho, approximately 0700 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported in a telephone interview that the aircraft departed Boise with the left fuel tank topped (44.3 gallons) and with 25 gallons in the right fuel tank. She stated that after about 1.3 hours of flight on the right fuel tank, and while the aircraft was operating about 700 feet AGL while conducting a slug habitat survey, the engine abruptly ceased operating and she was unable to achieve a restart in the minimal altitude available after selecting the left fuel tank. She then selected an agricultural (corn) field as her only suitable landing site and executed an intentional forced landing. During the landing roll through the corn the aircraft's nose wheel crossed a deep rut in the terrain and separated. The aircraft nosed over immediately thereafter.
On site examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the left fuel tank was nearly full whereas the right tank was nearly empty and that the fuel selector was positioned to select the left tank (refer to attached statement). A post crash engine run was accomplished with no discrepancies noted on August 31, 1995 (refer to attached statement).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8273M
- Reported as
- Cessna T210K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21059273
- Airframe hours
- 3,449
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520H, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Scott Patrick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 1995 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- BOI · Boise, ID
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,150 total · 100 in this make and model · 940 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MUO, 33 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.
Other investigations on N8273M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.