Accident Overview
On October 4, 2008, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna T210M, registration N11PC, experienced a total loss of engine power and was subsequently ditched in a marsh near Savannah, Georgia. The aircraft was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight from Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN), Trenton, New Jersey, to Malcolm McKinnon Airport (SSI), Brunswick, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from TTN at approximately 0725. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the certificated private pilot was not injured.
Fuel Management and Preflight
The pilot reported that she had filled the aircraft's fuel tanks several days before the accident flight, noting that the tire pressure appeared low. She did not perceive a slope on the ramp where the aircraft was fueled. She added air to the tires and then asked her certified flight instructor (CFI) to check the tanks and add fuel as necessary, due to the low tire pressure and her awareness of the aircraft's history with the fuel system. The CFI added less than 1.5 gallons of fuel. The aircraft was secured in a hangar and removed for the accident flight. The pilot did not visually check the fuel tanks during her preflight inspection but reported no evidence of fuel leakage on the hangar floor.
Inflight Events
The flight departed with a known inoperative right fuel quantity gauge, and the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank. After about one hour, the pilot moved the selector to the right tank and flew for 2 hours 20 minutes. She then moved it back to the left tank and noted the left gauge indicated 10 gallons remaining, though she estimated it should have been 24 gallons. The flight continued, and around 1100, the engine surged; the pilot corrected by reducing throttle. Later, after another engine surge, she selected the right tank for a few minutes, then returned to the left tank and saw the left gauge indicated zero. Several minutes later, the engine began losing power. The pilot notified air traffic control and requested vectors to the nearest airport, Hunter Army Airfield. Realizing she could not land there, she maneuvered toward a grassy area and executed a forced landing to a marsh with flaps and landing gear retracted. After coming to rest, she exited the aircraft and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard approximately 30 minutes later. The pilot reported no unusual fuel flow issues during the flight, which she said typically consumed 17.3 to 17.4 gallons per hour in cruise.
Post-Accident Examination
Recovery personnel found the aircraft resting in a left wing high attitude. No fuel or water was in the left fuel tank; approximately 8 gallons of salt water were drained from the right fuel tank, and no fuel was found in the right tank. The FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airframe and engine. No fuel leaks were found from the fuel tank sump drains or fuel caps. The engine's fuel lines contained no fuel. Crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed. The left magneto produced spark, but no spark was noted from the right magneto.
Preflight Procedures
The aircraft's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) specifies that both fuel tanks should be visually inspected during preflight. The pilot did not perform this visual check before the accident flight.