Cessna P210 C-GFCK

Summary

On 27 August 2012 at about 19:12 local time, a Cessna P210 registered C-GFCK was involved in an accident near Alturas, California, 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

27 August 2012 at 19:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Alturas, California, United States

Nearest airport

Alturas (KAAT)

Coordinates

41.4304, -120.5304

Aircraft

Cessna P210

Registration

C-GFCK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bellingham → Alturas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA373

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel vaporization. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the auxiliary fuel pump when he noticed a degradation in the airplane’s climb performance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was making an approach for landing to runway 21 when he noticed that the wind was favoring runway 03. He executed a go-around and maneuvered to approach runway 03 for landing. During the approach to runway 03, he decided that he was too high to make a safe landing, and he executed another go-around. The pilot described the airplane's climb performance as "sluggish." The pilot raised the flaps when the airplane was between 600 and 800 feet above ground level, and, shortly after, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot did not attempt to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump, switch fuel tanks, or adjust the mixture; he stated that the fuel selector was in the "both" position. The pilot executed a forced landing on a nearby highway, which resulted in damage to the right wing and left horizontal stabilizer. During the airplane's recovery, a total of 22 gallons of fuel was obtained from three of the four fuel tanks. The fourth fuel tank had been breached during the accident sequence, and recovery personnel observed fuel draining from the damaged tank. The postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was climbing in conditions conducive to fuel vapor formation. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, when such conditions exist, it may be necessary to use the auxiliary fuel pump to attain or stabilize the fuel flow required for the type of climb being performed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.