Preflight Inspection
During a preflight inspection, the pilot observed that the fuel gauges indicated approximately 25 gallons of total fuel in the tanks. By looking into each tank and rocking the aircraft, he could hear sloshing and saw an irregular reflection.
Engine Power Loss
After takeoff, while climbing at 120-130 knots and 500 feet per minute, the aircraft reached about 4,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot then felt the controls become heavy. Wearing a headset, he could not hear the engine clearly. Checking the instruments, he saw the engine tachometer had dropped to 1,200 rpm and airspeed was decreasing below 100 knots. There was no roughness, loud noise, or sputtering from the engine; it continued to windmill.
Fuel Management Actions
The aircraft was operating on the right fuel tank, and the pilot switched to the left tank. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were in the full forward position. The pilot believed he only turned on the low fuel boost pump switch position because his attention was focused outside on selecting a landing site.
Postaccident Findings
The aircraft recovery company reported that upon recovery, no fuel was found in the right tank, and approximately 8 gallons of fuel remained in the left tank. (Each tank contains 0.5 gallons of unusable fuel.) A postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed no mechanical abnormalities.
Manufacturer's Guidance
According to the Cessna Aircraft Company Pilot Operating Handbook for the model T210M, the emergency procedure for engine failure during flight includes: switching to the fuller fuel tank, placing the mixture control in the full rich position, turning the auxiliary fuel pump on for 3-5 seconds with the throttle half open, and then slowly advancing the throttle. A Cessna Aircraft spokesman stated that if the throttle and mixture were full forward (full throttle and rich mixture) and the boost pump remained on while the engine was rotating at only 1,200 rpm, a flooded fuel condition was likely created in the engine, which prevented a restart.