Clovis, NM, USA
N66ML
CESSNA T210
The private pilot reported that he departed for the local flight in the airplane with 17 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank and 22 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank. While he was descending the airplane through 6,500 ft mean sea level and drawing fuel from the right tank, the engine lost total power. The pilot switched to the left fuel tank, turned on the fuel pump, and engaged the engine starter in an attempt to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing, during which the airplane collided with a power line, and the left aileron and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Examinations of the airframe, fuel system, and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and the engine was test-run successfully. At recovery, 2 gallons of fuel were found in the left fuel tank (although a small amount had leaked from the damaged fuel drain), and 9 gallons of fuel were found in the right fuel tank. The investigation could not determine the reason for the engine power loss. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook engine restart procedures stated, in part, to select the fuller fuel tank. Given that there was adequate fuel onboard when the engine lost power, if the pilot had properly conducted the engine restart procedures by selecting the fuller fuel tank, it is possible that engine power could have been restored.
On June 3, 2018, about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, N66ML, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Clovis, New Mexico. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight. The local flight departed Clovis Municipal Airport (CVN), Clovis, New Mexico, about 1040. According to the written statement submitted by the pilot, he was descending to land, and was at an altitude of 6,500 ft mean sea level. He had just made an engine throttle adjustment, when the engine lost power. The pilot changed to the left fuel tank, turned the electric auxiliary fuel pump on, and engaged the engine starter in attempted to restart the engine. The engine did not restart. During the forced landing the airplane collided with a wire from powerlines adjacent to the road the pilot was attempting to land on. The left aileron and the fuselage were substantially damaged during the forced landing. The pilot added that he had departed with 17 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank and 22 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank. According to the team that recovered the airplane, 2 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left fuel tank and 9 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right fuel tank. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident reported that the fuel drain on the left wing was impact damaged and a small amount of fuel had leaked out of that wing. An examination of the fuel system revealed no anomalies or contamination that would have obstructed the fuel flow. An engine run was conducted on the engine and the engine started and ran without interruption. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airframe, fuel system, or engine that would have precluded normal operations. The Pilot Operating Handbook for the Cessna T210M, Operating Limitations, listed 90 gallons total fuel; 45 gallons in each tank and 1 gallon unusable fuel. In the Emergency Procedures Section, the engine restart procedures during flight were outlined as: 1. Airspeed – 85 KIAS 2. Fuel Quantity – CHECK 3. Fuel Selector Valve – FULLER TANK 4. Mixture – RICH 5. Auxiliary Fuel Pump – ON for 3-5 seconds with throttle ½ open; then OFF 6. Ignition Switch – BOTH (or START if propeller is stopped) 7. Throttle – ADVANCE slowly The Airplane & Systems Description, Fuel System, goes on to state in part that "…When the fuel tanks are ¼ full or less, prolonged uncoordinated flight such as slips or skids can uncover the fuel tank outlets, causing fuel starvation and engine stoppage. Therefore, with low fuel reserves, do not allow the airplane to remain in uncoordinated flight for periods in excess of one minute." It goes on to caution that "Excessive use of the ON position [auxiliary fuel pump] at high altitude and full rich mixture can cause flooding of the engine as indicated by a short period of power followed by a loss of power."
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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