On May 28, 2002, a Cessna T210N (registration N4672Y) was involved in an aviation accident near Orlando, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply by setting the fuel selector to the correct position, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft lost engine power during an instrument approach and landed on a golf course, flipping inverted when the nose wheel dug into the turf.
What happened
The airplane experienced a loss of engine power while conducting an instrument approach. In response to the emergency, the pilot initiated a forced landing on a nearby golf course. During the rollout phase on the ground, the nose wheel sank into the turf, causing the aircraft to flip onto its back and come to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
A physical examination of the wreckage at the accident site revealed significant fuel system anomalies. Investigators found that fuel was actively leaking from the vent located on the right wing. Further inspection showed that there was no fuel remaining in the left wing tank. Additionally, the fuel selector switch was discovered in the off position.
Findings
The sequence of events indicates a complete loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The primary contributing factors were the fuel selector being set to the off position and the subsequent inability to supply fuel to the engine. The resulting forced landing resulted in substantial damage to the airframe as it overturned on the soft ground.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply by setting the fuel selector to the correct position, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.