Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The improper fuel management by the pilot which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain in which the forced landing was completed.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 10, 2002, at 2100 central daylight time, a Cessna 210M, N357TC, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Watertown, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, reported minor injuries. The flight departed Morris Municipal Airport (MOX), Morris, Minnesota, at 1800 and had the intended destination of Flying Cloud Airport (FCM), Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the pilot's written statement, he had flown from FCM to MOX earlier in the day and was returning to FCM at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he did not fly directly back to FCM and had practiced approaches at five airports prior to returning to FCM. The pilot stated, "I was descending to Flying Cloud [Airport] & was at about 2,700 feet when [engine] power failed. I attempted 'engine out' procedures but was unable to restore [engine] power. I attempted to land on a road (or the field beyond) but was unable to reach either one & landed short of the road. The prop & nose gear dug into soft ground & flipped the airplane over & it landed on the road."
The pilot reported that the airplane was fueled with 70 gallons prior to the flight to MOX. The pilot reported that the flight from FCM to MOX had taken approximately 1.1 hours. The airplane was not fueled prior to the return flight to FCM. The pilot reported the accident flight was approximately 2.5 hours in length.
The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, "... he [the pilot] forgot to switch the fuel selector to the other tank." The pilot also told the FAA inspector that his being indecisive on a landing area contributed to the airplane landing short of the road.
Subsequent to the accident approximately 5 gallons of aviation fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank and there was evidence of a fuel spill around the accident site.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI02LA129