NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

On August 27, 2012, at 1212 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna P210N, Canadian registration C-GFCK, experienced a loss of engine power and force landed on a highway 1 mile south of the Alturas Municipal Airport, Alturas, California. The airplane was registered to Poodle Aircraft Hangars Ltd, and the pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. The private pilot was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed.

The pilot made his first landing approach to runway 21 at Alturas Municipal Airport. He noticed that the winds were favoring runway 03. He executed a go-around, and maneuvered to line up for runway 03. During his approach to runway 03, he decided that he was too high to make a safe landing, and executed a go-around. During the climb out, the pilot stated that the airplane's climb performance felt sluggish. After he raised the flaps, between 600-800 feet above ground level, the engine appeared to stop completely. The pilot did not attempt to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump, switch fuel tanks, or adjust the mixture, however, the pilot stated that the fuel selector was in the BOTH position. The pilot executed a forced landing on a nearby highway, highway US 395. The right wing impacted a road sign before the airplane came to a halt on the side of the road. First responders observed fuel leaking from the right wing.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificated for airplane single-engine and airplane single engine sea issued July 13, 2011, and a third-class medical certificate issued on October 27, 2010, with the limitation that he must wear glasses. The pilot reported in the NTSB Pilot Accident Report that he had 600 total flight hours, and 40 hours in the model of the accident airplane. The pilot's most recent flight review was conducted on June 12, 2012.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The six seat, high-wing, single engine, retractable landing gear airplane, serial number P21000767, was manufactured in 1981. It was powered by a Continental Motors, TSIO-520-AF, serial number 245217-R, 310 hp engine and equipped with a McCauley, model D2A34C402, constant speed propeller. The FAA inspector who examined the airplane reported that the airframe total time was 3,272.1 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 5, 2011. Examination of the engine maintenance logbook showed that the engine's total time since overhaul (TSOH) was 1,119.4 hours, and 45.6 hours since the annual inspection.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

An FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene reported that the right wing had been substantially damaged; the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were damaged, the fuselage forward of the right horizontal stabilizer was buckled, the nose gear was collapsed, and the propeller blades were bent aft. The airplane was recovered and transported to Progressive Air Services, Ltd, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Recovery personnel drained 12 gallons of fuel from the right-hand tip tank, 5 gallons from the left-hand tip tank, 5 gallons from the left main tank, and the right main was empty (breached). An engine exam was conducted by airframe and power-plants mechanics under the oversight of the Transport Safety Board of Canada (TSB). Engine mechanical continuity was verified, magneto timing was verified as correct, thumb compression was achieved on all cylinders, and the spark plugs exhibited normal wear signatures with no mechanical damage. The fuel injectors were inspected, and no blockages were identified. The gascolator bowl was removed, blue colored liquid was observed, the screen was clear of debris, and a small amount of dirt was observed in the bottom of the bowl. The induction and exhaust manifold attachment hardware was tight, and no sign of blow-by was observed. There was no evidence of leakage in or around the fuel selector, and the auxiliary fuel pump was verified as operational..

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Cessna P210N Pilot's Operating Hand book and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, in the Airplane and Systems Descriptions (Section 7), advises that "Under hot day-high altitude conditions or conditions during a climb that are conductive to fuel vapor formation, it may be necessary to utilize the auxiliary fuel pump to attain or stabilize the fuel flow required for the type of climb being performed."

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel vaporization. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the auxiliary fuel pump when he noticed a degradation in the airplane’s climb performance.