SANTA BARBARA, CA, USA
N6056B
Cessna T210M
On the final leg of the flight, the pilot had the fuel selector on the left fuel tank. He was on final approach when the engine quit and believed he was out of gas. He was unsuccessful in restarting the engine and he turned the aircraft away from the beach and ditched in the water. Aircraft recovery personnel reported both fuel tanks were found intact. He drained approximately 15 gallons of fuel from the right tank and found no fuel in the left tank.
On May 20, 1998, at 1519 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N6056B, ditched in the Pacific ocean approximately 2 miles south of Santa Barbara, California, following a loss of engine power. The aircraft was destroyed, and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The last leg of the flight originated from the Torrance, California, airport, approximately 1430 and was on approach to Santa Barbara at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that his flight originated earlier that day from the Oxnard, California, airport, and he had received 9 gallons of fuel before takeoff. He further reported that he did not visually check the fuel quantity prior to departure. The pilot flew approximately 2 hours 10 minutes. According to the aircraft manual, the aircraft holds 89 useable gallons of fuel, has a maximum endurance of approximately 3.7 hours at standard cruise, and burns approximately 24 gallons per hour. The pilot reported that on the final leg of the flight, the fuel selector was on the left fuel tank. He had estimated that the left fuel tank was approximately 25 percent full and the right fuel tank was approximately 40 percent full. The pilot reported that he was on a 2-mile final approach to the airport when the engine quit. He stated that the power loss felt sudden, and he had experienced no prior engine problems. He reported to the tower that "it seemed like I was out of gas or something." The pilot activated the emergency fuel pump and switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank. He reported that he checked the mixture and the ignition switch and tried pumping the throttle. The propeller was still spinning but the engine did not restart. The pilot reported that he did not hear the fuel pump or the ignition switch engage. He turned the aircraft away from the beach to avoid the people on the ground. The pilot ditched the aircraft in the water and opened the window just before touchdown to facilitate egress. The aircraft retriever reported that both fuel tanks were found intact. He drained approximately 15 gallons of fuel from the right tank and reported that he found no fuel in the left tank.
The pilot's mismangement of the fuel by the improper position of the fuel tank selector.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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