NTSB Factual Report

On October 13, 2015, about 0700 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210K airplane, N8273M, was substantially damaged during a forced landing attempt near Boise Air Terminal (BOI), Boise, Idaho. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by SP Aircraft under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial pilot and sole occupant of the airplane was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the non-scheduled cargo, cross country flight that departed Spokane International Airport (GEG), Spokane, Washington at 0422 Pacific daylight time and was destined for BOI.

According to the pilot's statement, he departed GEG on a time-sensitive flight with about 30 gallons of fuel in each wing fuel tank. During the flight the pilot became preoccupied with some paperwork in the cockpit and "failed to switch tanks" as he had planned at the halfway point. About 2 miles from BOI and approximately 650 feet above ground level, the engine "surged" and subsequently lost power. The pilot advanced the mixture, propeller, and throttle controls to their full forward positions and engaged the fuel boost pump, but was unable to regain engine power. He did not verify the fuel selector position or attempt an engine restart. He quickly evaluated the possible landing sites and decided to land on the lighted interstate adjacent to the airport. The airplane was "a few hundred" feet above the ground when the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear, but "the landing gear didn't have enough time to extend." The airplane touched down on its belly and came to rest near the shoulder of the interstate. In his written statement, the pilot remarked that the engine failure could also have been prevented "by using the checklist provided in the aircraft during descent", which includes the task "manage fuel." During a follow-up telephone conversation, the pilot stated that he was distracted during the descent phase of the flight and failed to use the checklist.

The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation with the exception of the landing gear, which failed to extend during the approach. He attributed the landing gear failure to the loss of engine power, but was not able to verify this assumption.

Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the left aileron. The FAA inspector recorded 22 gallons in the left tank and observed no evidence of fuel in the right tank. According to photographs taken at the accident site by FAA, the landing gear and doors were in the retracted position and the landing gear position handle was in the neutral position. The inspector also verified fuel system continuity and functionality for both fuel boost pumps. An airframe and powerplant mechanic tested the landing gear under the supervision of the FAA, which revealed no anomalies as all three landing gear extended to their respective down and locked positions.

According to the aircraft manufacturer, the retractable tricycle landing gear is operated by hydraulic actuators and powered by an engine-driven hydraulic pump. To cycle the landing gear to the up or down position, the landing gear handle must be pulled out, moved to the respective position and released. Pressure from the engine-driven hydraulic pump will then actuate the gear into the selected position. The landing gear handle will be held in place by a detent until the cycle is completed; then the handle will automatically return to the neutral position.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s improper in-flight fuel management due to distraction and self-induced pressure, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to conduct the descent checklist, which included a task to manage fuel.