On October 28, 1985, a Cessna T210NII (registration N1728U) operated by Sterling Air Service was involved in an aviation accident near Sterling, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to add fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and engine failure. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The pilot indicated he had the airport in sight when the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. Investigation revealed the engine tachometer showed a total lapsed time of 4.9 hours flown on this one fuel load.
What happened
The pilot reported that he had the airport in sight at the moment the engine failed. The failure was attributed to fuel exhaustion. During the flight, the aircraft operated on a single fuel load.
The investigation
An examination of the engine tachometer revealed a total lapsed time of 4.9 hours flown on this one fuel load. Performance charts for this particular flight indicated a maximum flight time of between 4.45 hours and 4.8 hours. The pilot acknowledged that he should have added fuel to prevent the accident from happening.
Findings
The engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. The total lapsed time of 4.9 hours exceeded the maximum flight time indicated by performance charts for this particular flight.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to add fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and engine failure.
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