NTSB Factual Report

On December 31, 2012, about 1130 mountain standard time, a Cessna 210A, N9507X, experienced a loss of engine power on takeoff from runway 22R, and the pilot made a forced landing in an open field near the Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD), Chandler, Arizona. The pilot operated the privately-owned borrowed airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that before takeoff, he had completed a full engine run up in accordance with the aircraft handbook, with no anomalies encountered. He performed three touch-and-go takeoff and landings; on the fourth takeoff the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing in an open field about a 1/4 mile from the departure end of runway 22R.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector responded to the accident site, and reported that fuel was evident in the fuel tanks, and no obvious mechanical problems were identified. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that right after takeoff the engine quit, "it did not sputter or cough, it just quit."

Maintenance records indicated that the last annual inspection took place on October 3, 2012, at an engine total time of 3,231.3 hours (564.4 hours since overhaul). There were no additional maintenance entries in the logbook following the annual inspection. According to the FAA inspector, the mechanic who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident, indicated that the engine's fuel system had been adjusted prior to the accident flight in accordance with Continental Motor's Service Information Directive (SID) 97-3E with only "minor adjustments" being made. There was no record of the work performed in the engine logbook.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both propeller blades sustained bending deformation in the aft direction, with one blade being bent more than the other. The nose section of the airplane, including the nose landing gear, sustained crushing damage. Both magnetos were secured to their respective mounting pads at the engine. The ignition leads were secured to their respective sparkplugs in good condition with no signs of fretting. The top sparkplugs were removed and examined using the Champion Aviation Service Manual AV6-R as a reference. The fine wire electrodes appeared to be in a normal wear condition with little-to-no evidence of lead fouling or soot. With the sparkplugs removed, a borescope inspection was performed on all six cylinders with no anomalies noted to the cylinders, piston heads, or valves. Compression was tested by rotating the propeller by hand; thumb compression and suction were obtained on all six cylinders. The fuel line between the low and high pressure auxiliary fuel boost pumps sustained impact damage, as well as the line that bypasses the low pressure auxiliary fuel boost pump. Further examination of the fuel system confirmed that fuel lines from each tank were not blocked from the pickup tubes at each wing root through the fuel selector to the fuel strainer. In addition, a test of the high and low pressure auxiliary fuel boost pumps found that only the high pressure pump was operational.

A fixed-pitch, two-bladed propeller was installed for an engine run test. Electric power was supplied to the alternate electric boost pump, and the engine was started using the accident airplane's ignition/starting system. With the engine started, electrical power was disconnected to the electric boost pump. The engine ran through various power settings on the engine driven pump with no anomalies noted. The engine power was limited to 2,400 rpm during the examination. The engine's mixture control was adjusted throughout the engine run, and the fuel flow and rpm instrument readings represented what was to be expected for all of the given adjustments. The engine ran for a total 22 minutes through the various throttle and mixture settings with no anomalies noted. The engine examination and engine ground run did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation and the production of rated horsepower.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power during takeoff climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and testing of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.