Cessna 210J N3384S

Summary

On 18 May 2006 at about 18:20 local time, a Cessna 210J registered N3384S, operated by Robert L. Hicks, was involved in an accident near Redding, California, United States. One person was on board and one 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

18 May 2006 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Redding, California, United States

Nearest airport

Redding Municipal (KRDD)

Coordinates

40.5147, -122.3000

Aircraft

Cessna 210J

Registration

N3384S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert L. Hicks

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chehalis → Redding

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA175

1 person had minor injuries.

Fuel starvation due to the pilot's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and inadequate fuel system management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise the airplane lost engine power and the pilot ditched the airplane in a lake. The pilot said that during the preflight, he used a fuel stick to determine the fuel quantity in each fuel tank. He indicated that there was between 53 and 55 gallons of fuel onboard at the time of departure. One hour into the flight, he switched fuel tanks from the left to the right fuel tank, and planned to switch back to the left fuel tank after another hour had passed. Once he arrived in the airport environment he overheard a radio transmission from a departing aircraft, so he diverted towards a nearby dam to allow the other aircraft time to depart the airport environment. While in the vicinity of the dam at 1,200 feet above the ground the engine quit. He immediately switched fuel tanks, turned on the fuel boost pump, and advanced the throttle; however, the engine did not respond. As he approached the dam, he observed power lines surrounding the dam. His intention was to ditch the airplane in the water due to unsuitable terrain in the area for an emergency landing. After the airplane cleared the power lines, he made a descent towards the water. The airplane impacted the water at 60 miles per hour. An engine inspection and teardown were conducted after the aircraft was recovered from the lake with no discrepancies noted that would have precluded normal operation. Eight gallons of fuel was recovered from the left fuel tank, and no fuel was recovered from the right fuel tank. No fuel was found in the fuel injector nozzles, that were found to be clear of debris. The fuel lines were clear and intact. No fuel was found in the engine driven fuel pump.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.