 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
C210 engine quit on final causing pilot to make forced landing on a highway just short of the airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 528908 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : e98.airport |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dtw.tower |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 4 flight time last 90 days : 91 flight time total : 357 flight time type : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 528908 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine power indicators other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : investigated Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
After doing maintenance on the landing gear, I test flew the airplane. At the end of the flight while in the pattern on downwind, the engine sputtered shortly past 'abeam the numbers.' I increased the mixture, changed fuel tanks, and increased power. This appeared to fix the problem. On base, there was no indication of any more problems. Once I turned on final and the engine sputtered again and quit, I changed tanks again and checked the mixture and throttle and put the fuel boost pump on with no change in the engine. At this point I was under 500 ft AGL and approximately 1.5 mi from the approach end of runway 36 at midvalley airpark. At this time I made the decision to land on highway 314 in los lunas, NM. At the time this decision was made, I was out of altitude and time to further troubleshoot and restart the engine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he found that the engine quit due to fuel starvation. The fuel tank gauges showed 1/4 full so he looked into the tank with a flashlight and assumed sufficient fuel for a short maintenance flight. However, that did not prove to be the case since the engine ran out of fuel after a short local flight. He further stated that he did not have a stick available with which to check the fuel more accurately.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C210 ENG QUIT ON FINAL CAUSING PLT TO MAKE FORCED LNDG ON A HWY JUST SHORT OF THE ARPT.
Narrative: AFTER DOING MAINT ON THE LNDG GEAR, I TEST FLEW THE AIRPLANE. AT THE END OF THE FLT WHILE IN THE PATTERN ON DOWNWIND, THE ENG SPUTTERED SHORTLY PAST 'ABEAM THE NUMBERS.' I INCREASED THE MIXTURE, CHANGED FUEL TANKS, AND INCREASED PWR. THIS APPEARED TO FIX THE PROB. ON BASE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY MORE PROBS. ONCE I TURNED ON FINAL AND THE ENG SPUTTERED AGAIN AND QUIT, I CHANGED TANKS AGAIN AND CHKED THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE AND PUT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON WITH NO CHANGE IN THE ENG. AT THIS POINT I WAS UNDER 500 FT AGL AND APPROX 1.5 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 36 AT MIDVALLEY AIRPARK. AT THIS TIME I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND ON HWY 314 IN LOS LUNAS, NM. AT THE TIME THIS DECISION WAS MADE, I WAS OUT OF ALT AND TIME TO FURTHER TROUBLESHOOT AND RESTART THE ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE FOUND THAT THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE FUEL TANK GAUGES SHOWED 1/4 FULL SO HE LOOKED INTO THE TANK WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND ASSUMED SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR A SHORT MAINT FLT. HOWEVER, THAT DID NOT PROVE TO BE THE CASE SINCE THE ENG RAN OUT OF FUEL AFTER A SHORT LCL FLT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A STICK AVAILABLE WITH WHICH TO CHK THE FUEL MORE ACCURATELY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.