GROVES, TX, USA
N9503T
CESSNA 210
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE ENCOUNTERED THE FORECAST HEAD WINDS EN ROUTE AND HE INTENTIONALLY RAN THE LEFT TANK DRY AND WAS FLYING ON THE RIGHT TANK DURING THE DESCENT WHEN IT ALSO RAN DRY. HE STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE TANK CHANGE HE THOUGHT ABOUT REQUESTING AN ALTERNATE, BUT DID NOT. AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE THE PILOT WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL LOCALIZER APPROACH COURSE OF A NEARBY AIRPORT; HOWEVER, HE HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. HE BROKE OUT AT 700 FEET AND WAS ABLE TO LAND ON A PLAYING FIELD ADJACENT TO A CHURCH IN AN URBAN AREA. AFTER ROLLING ABOUT 234 FEET, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BASEBALL BACK STOP AND CAME TO REST IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. THE PILOT'S FUEL CALCULATIONS INDICATED THAT HE HAD 6.5 HOURS TO FUEL EXHAUSTION, WHILE ACTUAL FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED AFTER 5.5 HOURS. THE LEFT TANK RAN DRY AT 2.6 HOURS AND THE RIGHT RAN DRY AT 2.9 HOURS.
FUEL EXHAUSTION WHICH PRECIPITATED THE FORCED LANDING DUE TO THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO DIVERT TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THAT FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS A POSSIBILITY.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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