Cessna T210N N6546N

Summary

On 5 November 1996 at about 14:45 local time, a Cessna T210N registered N6546N was involved in an accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 November 1996 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Prairie, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.7792, -97.0094

Aircraft

Cessna T210N

Registration

N6546N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Arlington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA037

Nobody was injured.

failure of the pilot to ensure that the fuel selector was positioned to a tank with sufficient fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight, false indication from the right fuel quantity gauge, and the lack of suitable terrain in the forced landing area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of his flight was to reposition the airplane from the Grand Prairie Airport to the Arlington Airport, about 7 miles to the southwest. The pilot stated that during the preflight, he could not locate a ladder to visually check the quantity of fuel, so he elected to rely on the fuel gages, which were reading above 1/4 full. The flight departed Grand Prairie VFR; however, the pilot was unable to land at the Arlington Airport due to localized instrument conditions in the vicinity of the airport. He elected to return to Grand Prairie and wait for the weather to improve. During a turn from base to final approach for runway 17, the engine lost power without warning. The pilot reported that after losing power, he 'did a brief checklist, but because of [the low] altitude, he had to choose a landing spot quickly.' The airplane touched down in a parking lot, overran the end of the parking lot, and impacted trees and bushes. During examination of the airplane at the site, 15 gallons of fuel were drained from the compromised left tank. The right fuel cell, which was not compromised, was found to be empty. During a post-accident engine run, the engine performed within limits.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.