Accident Overview
On October 25, 2010, at approximately 1130 central daylight time, a Cessna T210N, registration N200WT, operated by DIT Corporation, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a loss of engine power near Presidio, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The airline transport certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The cross-country flight originated at Presidio (T77) and was en route to El Paso (ELP), Texas.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot's accident report, the flight had originated from Santa Teresa, New Mexico, to Presidio. After taking off from Presidio, the pilot was climbing through 7,000 feet at 110 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) with a power setting of 2500 RPM and 30 inches of manifold pressure (MAP). The fuel pressure began to fluctuate, and the engine started "accelerating and decelerating." The pilot turned the fuel pump to LOW BOOST and switched fuel tanks. Engine power continued to fluctuate, and RPMs began to decay. The pilot turned back toward Presidio. Unable to restore power, he initiated a forced landing, during which the aircraft impacted terrain, tearing off the empennage, bending the right wing, and collapsing the landing gear.
Post-Accident Examination
Both fuel tanks were intact. The retrieval company reported draining "only a few gallons" of fuel from the tanks when the wreckage was recovered. The pilot stated that he had departed Santa Teresa with full fuel tanks (88 gallons), and the 1-hour 5-minute flight to Presidio should have left "in excess of 60 gallons on board."
Engine Test
On March 9, 2011, the engine was functionally tested at Air Salvage of Dallas (Texas). According to the NTSB investigator's statement, the engine operated smoothly at all power settings with no anomalies noted.