Cessna T210L N5089V

Summary

On 16 February 2003 at about 19:57 local time, a Cessna T210L registered N5089V was involved in an accident near Stockton, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 February 2003 at 19:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Stockton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Stockton Metropolitan (SCK)

Coordinates

37.8206, -121.2907

Aircraft

Cessna T210L

Registration

N5089V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stockton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA089

1 person was seriously injured.

fuel starvation due to the pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply and failure to verify the fuel quantity on board at departure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

All engine power was lost due to fuel starvation while the pilot was maneuvering on a work-related photography flight. The pilot made a hard forced landing in a soft open field. According to the pilot, he had not visually confirmed the quantity of fuel in the tanks prior to initiating the 1 1/2-hour-long flight. However, he believed about 45 gallons of fuel were available for use. When the engine lost power he repositioned the fuel selector from the right to the left fuel tank, but power was not restored. During the subsequent airplane examination, the right fuel tank was found dry, and 4 gallons of fuel were found in the left tank. Drops of fuel were found in the metered fuel line from the metering unit to the manifold valve and in the return line at the engine driven fuel pump. The main fuel line to the engine driven fuel pump was dry. Some fuel was present in the return line from the metering unit to the engine driven fuel pump. The gascolator was about 1/4 full of fuel. Approximately 1 1/2 ounces of fuel could be drained from the left header tank. The airplane's electric boost pump was activated, and it operated. The engine was examined and the crankshaft was rotated by hand. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found with internal engine components.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.