Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, HIS INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION, AND STARVATION OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. FACTORS INCLUDE A SIGN POST ALONGSIDE THE ROAD ON WHICH THE FORCED LANDING TOOK PLACE.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On December 21, 1994, approximately 1350 Pacific standard time (PST), a Cessna T210, N4607Q, impacted a road sign during a forced landing near Kellogg, Idaho. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which was being operated in visual meteorological conditions, departed Winnemucca, Nevada, about three hours earlier, and was descending into Shoshone County Airport at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the FAA inspector who reported the accident, the aircraft was about three miles from Shoshone Airport when the engine quit. It was later determined that the fuel tank to which the pilot had set the selector had run dry, and he failed to switch tanks after the loss of power.
Because the engine did not regain power, the pilot attempted a forced landing on a nearby state highway. While in the flare for the attempted landing, the wing of the aircraft impacted a road sign.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA95LA034