Cessna 210D N3826Y

Summary

On 29 June 2003 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 210D registered N3826Y was involved in an accident near Carefree, Arizona, 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

29 June 2003 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Carefree, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.8181, -111.8978

Aircraft

Cessna 210D

Registration

N3826Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vacaville → Scottsdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA216

2 people were seriously injured.

fuel exhaustion due to a crack on the elbow fitting to the gascolator resulted in a fuel leak.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane lost engine power and made a forced landing on a road, encountered rough terrain, and nosed over. The pilot fueled the airplane with about 5 hours of fuel. After about 4 hours she contacted the tower and told them of her intention to land. Soon after, the engine failed. She switched tanks, the engine restarted, and then it quit again. She realized there must have been a fuel leak and radioed the tower to advise them of the engine failure. She attempted to land at a private airport; however, the airplane landed on a road and came to rest inverted. No fuel was discovered at the scene of the accident. A post accident inspection revealed a crack on the bottom of the elbow fitting, which was on the bottom of the gascolator. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed a test using soap and water. At 3 to 5 pounds of pressure, the assembly began bubbling at the crack, indicating a leak. The inspector noted blue stains along the bottom of the airplane. The inspector opined that the crack was the result of excessive torque used to tighten the fitting.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.