NTSB Factual Report

On April 6, 2001, at 1844 central daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, N555HG, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during landing near Abilene, Texas. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Dallas Air Park Airport, Dallas, Texas, at 1700.

The pilot reported that while on final approach for runway 17, after receiving clearance to land, he "neglected to switch from the right empty tank to [the] left tank which was 1/2 full." He stated that at about 100 feet above the ground, on short final, the engine "ran out of gas." He switched to the left fuel tank, "hit the boost pump, full throttle and mixture;" however, he could not restart the engine. A forced landing was initiated, and the airplane touched down approximately 30 feet short of the runway. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed as it hit the 6-inch lip of the runway pavement. The airplane came to a stop upright on the runway, about 65 yards from the approach end.

The FAA inspector reported that the nose landing gear was folded aft, and the firewall was damaged.

NTSB Probable Cause

the loss of engine power while on final approach due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper use of the fuel selector. A contributing factor was the elevated runway edge.