NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 26, 2013, at 1946 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N761BP, landed in a field following a loss of engine power near Scipio, Utah. The airplane was registered to Pro Air Services of Provo LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, airline transport pilot-rated passenger, and three additional passengers were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, right wing, and right horizontal stabilizer during the accident sequence. The cross-country flight departed Bryce Canyon Airport, Bryce Canyon, Utah, at 1909, with a planned destination of Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot-rated passenger, who was seated in the front right seat, submitted a detailed statement regarding the accident circumstances. He reported that after servicing the airplane with fuel at Bryce Canyon, they departed for Provo to the north via Gunnison in order to avoid terrain. During cruise, he turned around to talk to the passengers when the engine sound abruptly changed. The propeller was still turning, but the airplane had started to descend. He then pushed the mixture control forward to the full rich position and adjusted the throttle control, while the pilot began to trim the airplane for best glide speed. The pilot confirmed the magnetos were both on, and they both began to plan for a forced landing. The airplane continued to descend, and just prior to landing the pilot-rated passenger reached over to the landing gear control, and extended the landing gear. They landed in a field adjacent to a road, within a valley, about 14 miles south of Scipio. During the landing flare, the airplane struck a wire fence, and the right main landing gear collapsed.

The pilot reported that he could not recall the exact circumstances surrounding the loss of engine power, but that he "froze up" during the flight. He further stated that there were no mechanical defects with the airplane during the flight, and that he failed to turn on the engine boost pump after the loss of power.

The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GPSMap 296 global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Track data was recovered from the unit revealing the entire flight. The data corroborated the occupant's statements, and indicated that about 12 minutes after departing Bryce Canyon (elevation 7,590 feet mean sea level), the airplane flew north, and reached its maximum altitude of 11,290 feet. It then began a gradual descent passing over Table Mountain, and 8 minutes later, leveled off at 8,200 feet. After 10 minutes, the airplane made a left turn over the town of Sigurd, and proceeded to fly northwest. Shortly thereafter, the airplane began to descend, with an associated reduction in airspeed. The last recorded position was recorded about 2 minutes later, just south of the accident site at an elevation of 6,032 feet. The airplane travelled about 3.7 nautical miles during the glide, which matched the glide range distance documented in the airplane's pilot operating handbook. The GPS data revealed that for the last 2 miles of flight, the airplane flew directly over, and in line with, Highway 50, which was a two-lane paved road. The highway was 40-feet-wide, level, and free of obstacles.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The 74-year-old-pilot held a commercial pilots certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He additionally held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and multiengine land.

He did not hold a valid FAA medical certificate, as his application was denied on May 23, 2013. The pilot stated he was the pilot-in-command of the flight, and that because of his medical status, the pilot-rated passenger was acting in the capacity of a "safety pilot." In a subsequent interview with an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that his medical condition may have interfered with his judgment during the flight.

AIRPLANE INFORMATION

The high-wing single-engine airplane was manufactured in 1977, and equipped with a turbocharged Continental Motors TSIO-520 engine. Review of the airplane's maintenance logbooks indicated that an annual inspection had been completed on April 19, 2013, at a total airframe time of 2,462.8 flight hours. At that time, the engine had accumulated 1,395.5 flight hours since major overhaul. The pilot reported that the airplane had flown 46 hours since the annual inspection.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

A deputy from the Millard County Sheriff's Office responded to the accident site the following day to document the airplane's condition. He did not observe any obvious anomalies, and stated that both wing fuel tanks contained fuel, although they appeared to have been breached during the accident and were leaking at a slow rate.

The airplane was recovered from the accident site, and examined by an airframe and powerplant mechanic under the instruction of the NTSB investigator-in-charge, and with the oversight from a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The mechanic checked the fuel supply system for integrity and blockage; he confirmed the operation of the auxiliary fuel pump, fuel selector valve, and fuel vents, and established that the gascolator and all screens were clear. The spark plug conditions were described as, "good", the magneto timing was set correctly, and the magnetos produced a spark at each plug when the engine was rotated. Propeller, throttle, and mixture control continuity was confirmed. The mechanic continued the inspection, and reported that he could not find any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause

A total loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.