NTSB Factual Report

On February 15, 2001, about 2115 central standard time, a Cessna P210N, N210FW, registered to, and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in Seminole, Alabama, shortly after the pilot reported he had run out of fuel. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot and one of the three passengers onboard received minor injuries. One passenger received serious injuries, and the other passenger sustained no injuries. The aircraft incurred substantial damage when it collided with trees. The flight originated in Amery, Wisconsin, the same day, about 1410.

The pilot of N210FW had filed an instrument flight rules flight plan to Pensacola, Florida, and he stated that as he was being sequenced for landing at Pensacola, he noticed that his flight time had been over 6 hours. He said he looked at the fuel gages, and noted that the left tank indicator showed that it was empty of fuel. The right tank indicator showed between 50 and 100 pounds of fuel remaining. The fuel selector had been on the left tank at that time, and the pilot said he hastily switched tanks. He said he followed the glideslope down to the "minimum descent altitude”, and never saw the airport, so he called the missed approach, raised the gear, started to climb, and the engine "sputtered and almost died." He said he leveled the wings and began investigating the situation. He turned the fuel selector from the right to the left tank, even though the gage was reading empty, and the engine "caught" again. He said that ATC then asked his intentions, and he requested another ILS approach. He said "the tower controller attempted a precision approach radar (PAR) approach, which resulted in another miss." At that point the pilot said he requested vectors to the nearest field with some minimal visibility, since he felt he could not make it to Mobile, Alabama, his filed alternate. He said the controller suggested Jack Edwards Field, near Gulf Shores, Alabama, and he received vectors to that location. According to the pilot, he was on a heading of 220 degrees, at an altitude of 4,000 feet when the engine "quit again." He said he then started both tip tank pumps to scavenge as much fuel as he could from the tip tanks, and switched to the right tank where the gage still read over 50 pounds, and "nothing worked." According to the pilot, the engine did not start operating again so he pulled the propeller control all the way back to reduce drag, and attempted to maintain a 90-knot glide speed. The pilot then tried to ascertain options of where to land, and queried the controller about the surrounding terrain. He said it was pitch black below him, and he could not ascertain any terrain features at all. He said several seconds after his last transmission with ATC he was able to see trees with the aid of the landing light, and he and his passengers prepared for the impact. According to the pilot, the aircraft impacted trees with the horizontal stabilizer first, and descended about 10 to 20 feet, nose down, deep in a wooded area. The pilot said he then shut the electrical system down, and he and his passengers exited the airplane. He then used a cell phone to call 911 for help. The pilot said that prior to the aircraft running out of fuel, there had been no failure or malfunction to the aircraft or any of its systems.

According to an FAA approach controller, N210FW had made an ILS approach, executed a missed approach, and had turned on his own to the east. The controller further stated that the tower controller then handed N210FW off to him, and he issued the pilot heading and altitude instructions. The controller said that the pilot of N210FW did not climb normally, or maintain assigned heading, so he asked if he was having difficulties. The controller said that the pilot said that his engine was "cutting out." The controller said he then gave the pilot of N210FW a surveillance approach to runway 17, which he flew erratically and descended below the minimum descent altitude. The controller said that on 0.5 mile final N210FW veered left of course, so he cancelled the approach, and issued instructions for the pilot to climb to 1,700 feet, and fly a heading of 020 degrees. The controller said he asked the pilot his intentions, and he said another ILS. The controller said he then gave the pilot updated weather, and the pilot said he wanted to go somewhere else with better weather. The controller said he then gave the pilot the weather for Mobile, Alabama, and issued a VFR clearance to Mobile. The controller said he asked the pilot if he had enough fuel to get to Mobile, and the pilot said stated he had a 1/4 in the right tank. According to the controller, after learning that Mobile was 50 miles away, and based on the possible availability of a visual approach at Jack Edwards Airport, the pilot elected to fly to Jack Edwards Airport instead of Mobile. The controller stated that the pilot later told him that he was out of fuel, so he gave him additional information on farm fields, and told him that help would be on the way. N210FW crashed in a wooded area about 13 miles west of Pensacola.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the presence of about 2 quarts of fuel in each wing tip tank. The fuel manifold valve top cover was removed, and there was no fuel present in the upper chamber. There was fuel present in the plunger hole, and it was tested for contamination, and no contamination was found. Both main fuel tanks had been breached as a result of the accident, and there was about an ounce of fuel remaining in the left tank. The aircraft on board fuel totalizer showed that 112.9 gallons of fuel had been used during the flight.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's improper inflight planning/decision and failure to refuel en route and ensure an adequate supply of fuel to safely complete the flight to his destination with adequate reserves, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, subsequent engine failure, and a forced landing into a wooded area at night.