Introduction
On October 10, 2008, at 1715 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210, registration N7418E, landed hard following a loss of engine power while on approach to runway 23 at Placerville Airport (PVF), Placerville, California. The airplane was operated by the private pilot/owner under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which departed Corona Municipal Airport (AJO) about 1440 for Placerville. No flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he attempted to contact the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for traffic advisories 10 and 5 miles out, with no response. Upon arrival at PVF, he overflew the airport at 4,000 feet to check wind direction. He made a right-hand entry to the traffic pattern for runway 23. On downwind he lowered the gear and set up for landing. On a mile final with flaps at 30 degrees and airspeed at 85 knots, he thought his approach was high about 1/2 mile out, so he initiated a forward slip to lose altitude, returning to level flight about 200 feet above the ground. Still high and close to the runway threshold, he decided to go around and pushed the throttle full in; however, the engine did not respond. He checked settings, reduced throttle, and pushed in again with no response.
Due to obstacles off the end of the runway, the pilot made a forced landing on the remaining half of the runway. He told his passenger to brace for a hard landing and pointed the nose toward the runway. At about 50 feet above the ground, he pitched up and landed flat on all three landing gear at about 10 to 15 feet. The nose landing gear tire popped, and after applying brakes, the nose gear collapsed. The propeller struck the ground, stopping the engine. The pilot lifted his foot off the left brake, and the airplane slid off the runway to the right, sliding about 40 feet before stopping. Damage included the front engine cowling, nose landing gear, and left wing spar.
A witness at the opposite end of the runway reported that the airplane entered the traffic pattern for runway 23 from the east, landing with a tailwind of about 8 to 10 knots. The airplane appeared too high on the approach and in a slip to lose altitude on final. The witness heard the engine for a short period, and it did not sound abnormal. From his position, the airplane touched down about halfway down the runway, bounced twice, and then a large cloud of dust appeared; when it cleared, the airplane's tail was in the air.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at Placerville Aviation. Visual examination revealed that the fuel tanks had not been breached during the accident. Maintenance personnel drained 9.6 gallons of fuel from the left fuel tank and 15 gallons from the right fuel tank. Visual examination found no mechanical anomalies. Spark plugs were removed and appeared in good condition; fuel was found in the gascolator. An engine ground run was performed: the engine started normally, a magneto check at 1,700 rpm showed a normal magneto drop, and the engine ran at full power with no hesitation or missing.
Conclusion
No probable cause was stated in the investigation source.