Cessna T210L N59235

Summary

On 30 April 1999 at about 19:13 local time, a Cessna T210L registered N59235, operated by Kirtland AFB Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 April 1999 at 19:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1404, -106.4895

Aircraft

Cessna T210L

Registration

N59235

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kirtland AFB Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA070

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper mixture control use and the engine's subsequent power loss due to fuel starvation, and the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to perform a forced landing. Factors were the pilot's lack of recent experience in type of airplane, the inadequate manufacturer's emergency engine airborne restart information in the Owner's Manual, and the pilot not performing the published emergency procedures for airborne engine restart.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that the takeoff was uneventful, and he began to level off at 1,000 feet agl to stay in the traffic pattern. He reduced the manifold pressure and began to lean the fuel mixture for cruise with the aid of the engine analyzer. After several communications with the tower, he turned the vernier mixture control further in the lean direction. The pilot said that the engine completely lost power without warning. The passenger stated that the engine fuel flow gauge 'was not indicating any fuel flow,' and the fuel mixture control was in the idle cut-off position. The pilot turned on the auxiliary fuel pump for an engine restart, but didn't move the mixture. The pilot performed a forced landing to 2 to 4 foot sand dune covered terrain. The manufacturer expanded the emergency procedure checklist, in later model T210's, to include 'mixture lean from full rich until restart occurs.' The pilot had 15 hours of flight experience in the airplane, and he had not flown it in the previous 90 days. The engine was placed on a engine run test stand, and it performed normally through its full operating range without difficulty.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.