# NTSB WPR17LA036: Cessna T210M, N761SZ, Mecca, CA, December 12, 2016

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: December 11, 2016, 18:15 local (Dec 12, 2016, 02:15 UTC)
- Place: Mecca, CA
- Coordinates: 34.066665, -115.97 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0667&lon=-115.9700&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Continental Motors Group, Textron Aviation, FAA-FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 94496
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR17LA036
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/94496/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94496
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA036

## Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation during approach, which necessitated a gear-up landing on unsuitable terrain.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md)
- [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna T210M, 17 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2073451), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Analysis

According to the pilot, he had the fuel tanks filled before departing for the cross-country flight, and he confirmed that they were full during the preflight inspection. During the flight, the fuel meter indicated a flow rate of between 12 and 15 gallons per hour. When the pilot was descending the airplane for the approach to his destination, he noted that both fuel tank gauges were reading just below 1/4 tank and that the fuel totalizer was showing about 22 gallons were remaining. He then switched from the right to the left tank. Subsequently, the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, so he chose to conduct a gear-up landing in hilly terrain about 10 miles east of the airport, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The flight time from the time of departure to the loss of engine power was about 5 hours. During examination of the airplane 1 month after the accident, no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded the normal operation. An unspecified amount of fuel was found in the wing tanks; however, the fuel line between the right header tank and selector valve was breached. Therefore, it is likely that any fuel remaining at the time of the accident drained out of the breached fuel line at the accident site. According to the engine manufacturer, assuming the fuel tanks were full at takeoff and using the time elapsed from takeoff to the loss of engine power and the fuel burn rate during before the flight, it was estimated that the airplane likely had about 10 to 15 gallons of fuel in the tanks when the engine lost power. Given the evidence, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.

## Factual narrative

On December 11, 2016, about 1815 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T210M, N761SZ, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Mecca, California. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he had the fuel tanks filled before departing for the cross-country flight, and he confirmed they were full during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that he had to change his intended flight route due to weather. During the flight, the fuel meter indicated a flow rate of between 12 and 15 gallons per hour. When the pilot had the destination in sight and was descending for the approach, he noted that both fuel tank gauges were reading just below 1/4 tank and that the fuel totalizer was showing about 22 gallons were remaining. He then switched from the right to the left tank. Subsequently, the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, so he chose to conduct a gear-up landing on hilly terrain about 10 miles east of the destination airport, resulting in substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The airplane was examined about 1 month after the accident. The fuel line between the right header tank and selector valve had separated during impact. An unspecified amount of fuel was found in the wing tanks. Examination and testing of the fuel gauges and floats revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. No residual fuel was found in the gascolator. A small amount of fuel was found in the fuel pump and fuel manifold valve. There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The engine manufacturer estimated that, assuming the fuel tanks were full at takeoff and using the time elapsed from takeoff to the loss of engine power and the fuel burn rate during the flight, it is likely that the fuel tanks had 10 to 15 gallons of fuel in them at the time of the accident.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N761SZ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N761SZ-2018-09-13), registration cancelled 2018-09-13, S/N 21062493, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA T210M (M)
- Registry model: [Cessna T210M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210m) (registry code 2073451) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [TCM Cont TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/tcm-cont-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17060, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 21062493
- Year built: 1978
- Airframe hours: 3995
- Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO 520SER reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, November 2, 2016
- Departed: KAPA, Centennial, CO
- Destination: KTRM, Thermal, CA
- Equipment: Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 60; injuries: serious; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 18, 2016; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 922 total, 52 in this make and model, 736 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observed at: KTRM, 7 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 20161211021899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161211021899A), Dec 11, 2016: Cessna T210M, Mecca, CA, Substantial damage. While 15 miles out from ktrm, the pilot in command (PIC) descended to 6500FT for final approach. When the PIC switched the fuel selector from right fuel tank…

## Docket (10 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=94496. 46.2 MB in all.

- Engine monitor device - specialist's factual report (item 1, PDF, 4 pages, 635 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9498770&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=WPR17LA036_Factual-Rel.pdf
- Engine monitor device - specialist's factual report - attachment 1 (item 2, CSV, 199 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9498168&FileExtension=csv&FileName=attachment_1-Rel.csv
- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 3, PDF, 9 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9732135&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=PiOp%206120%20N761SZ%2017L036_redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot's statement (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 1 photo, 798 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9733595&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Written%20Statement%20to%20FAA%20N761SZ%2017L036_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Airframe and engine exam report (item 5, PDF, 18 pages, 17 photos, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9733260&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20A%26E%20Exam%20Notes%20N761SZ%2017L036-Rel.pdf
- Textron email (fuel system) (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11890663&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fuel%20system%20email%20notes%20from%20manufacturer_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Continental motors exam report (item 7, PDF, 27 pages, 36.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11889175&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Continental%20Motors%20Exam%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 8, PDF, 2 pages, 915 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9730902&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Party%20Form%20N761%20SZ%2017L036_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Evidence control form (item 9, PDF, 1 page, 28 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9733066&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Evidence%20Chain%20of%20Custody%20Insight%20Eng%20Monitor%20N761SZ%20WPR17LA036%20K94496-Rel.pdf
- Photos-recovery on site (item 10, PDF, 3 pages, 3 photos, 630 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=9733340&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Recovery%20Photos%20Site%20N761SZ%2017L036-Rel.pdf

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.

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