Cessna 210 N9433T

Summary

On 20 May 2023 at about 16:00 local time, a Cessna 210 registered N9433T was involved in an accident near Redding, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 May 2023 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Redding, California, United States

Nearest airport

Redding Rgnl (RDD)

Coordinates

40.4884, -122.2954

Aircraft

Cessna 210

Registration

N9433T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salem → Willows

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA197

1 person had minor injuries.

A fuel leak caused by an age-degraded fuel pressure sender hose, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported the airplane lost engine power during cruise flight following a loss of fuel pressure. The pilot was not able to restart the engine by following the emergency procedures; however, he was able to regain partial power in short bursts by engaging the auxiliary fuel pump. He diverted the airplane for landing, but landed short of the runway after the engine lost all power. The right wing and tailcone were substantially damaged during the landing. Although the engine appeared functional, it had a history of water entering the fuel system, and there was evidence of water ingestion and corrosion within those engine components. Additionally, the hose that connected the fuel pressure sender to the fuel controller had broken at the fuel controller fitting. Such a failure in flight would have resulted in the loss of fuel pressure observed by the pilot and a leak in the fuel system that would have caused the engine to lose power. No other anomalies were found with the engine or airframe fuel supply system. The hose was age-degraded, had become hard and brittle, and appeared to have corroded at the fuel controller fitting. The engine and fuel control system did not appear to have been overhauled or replaced in 28 years. Although the manufacturer recommends an overhaul be accomplished every 12 years, there is no requirement under Part 91 operations that the operator abide by the manufacturer’s engine overhaul limits.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.