Cessna T210L N2445S

Summary

On 28 March 2009 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna T210L registered N2445S, operated by Davis David L, was involved in an accident near Madera, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 March 2009 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Madera, California, United States

Nearest airport

Madera (KMAE)

Coordinates

36.9972, -120.1164

Aircraft

Cessna T210L

Registration

N2445S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Davis David L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coalinga → Madera

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09LA170

2 people were seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power during the initial climb due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to properly monitor the airplane's fuel quantity and to correctly ascertain the fuel on board the airplane prior to takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While entering the traffic pattern at his home base after a return flight, the pilot switched to the airplane's left tank. As he continued in the pattern he asked his passenger if he would like to make a landing for currency also. When the passenger said yes, the pilot changed his planned full-stop landing to a touch-and-go. During the initial climb after the touch-and-go, the engine lost all power and the pilot executed a forced landing into a grape orchard where the vegetation was supported by closely spaced posts. The investigation confirmed that both fuel tanks were empty at the time of the forced landing. It was further determined that the fuel tank dip tube that the pilot used to determine fuel levels prior to a flight earlier that day was not specifically designed for, or calibrated to, this specific airplane model. The investigation also determined that the pilot did not check the fuel quantity of the left tank when he switched to it upon entering the pattern, and that he switched to that tank only because after a previous momentary fuel flow interruption from the right tank, the owner had made switching to the left tank in the pattern a standard procedure for this airplane regardless of the fuel quantities in each tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.