History of Flight
On August 5, 2011, at 1742 central daylight time, a Cessna T210N, registration N829MB, made a forced landing to a field after a total loss of engine power about 15 miles northeast of Rick Husband/Amarillo International Airport, near Amarillo, Texas. The airline transport pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries, and two passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was registered to Muy Flying, LLC, of San Antonio, Texas. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed, and the flight departed Moore County Airport (DUX), Dumas, Texas, at 1712. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The flight originated earlier that day in San Antonio, with stops in Amarillo, Clovis, New Mexico, and Dumas. The accident flight was the leg from Dumas to Amarillo. According to the pilot, while 20 miles from Amarillo, air traffic control cleared him for a visual approach to runway 22, and he initiated a descent from 6,000 to 5,000 feet msl. He reduced manifold pressure from 29 to 23 inches, leaving RPM at 2,500. As the airplane descended, the descent rate exceeded 1,000 feet per minute. The pilot added throttle and adjusted pitch, but airspeed continued to decrease. He noted the tachometer indicated 2,300 RPM, manifold pressure less than 20 inches, and the cylinder head temperature light blinking "cold."
Descending through 4,800 feet msl (about 1,200 feet agl), the pilot applied full throttle. Manifold pressure rose to 25 inches but no thrust change. He applied full rich mixture, checked fuel gauges (both indicated about 3/4 full), turned on the fuel pump, and confirmed ignition on "both," but the engine would not restart. Switching the fuel selector from right to left tank and repeating the process also failed.
The pilot contacted the tower, declared a forced landing to a field. He landed with full flaps and gear extended on rugged, uneven terrain between power lines and an irrigation system. The airplane touched down on the main gear at 75 knots, ballooned, then settled. The pilot applied maximum braking, but vegetation and a downslope hindered deceleration. As the airplane approached a gully, the pilot applied full back pressure. The nose gear impacted the far side of the gully and broke off, and the airplane flipped onto its back. All five occupants egressed; there was no fire and no observed fuel leakage.
Personnel Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate for single- and multi-engine airplanes, and a certified flight instructor certificate with single- and multi-engine and instrument ratings. His last FAA second-class medical was issued July 22, 2011. He reported 4,200 total flight hours, with 25 hours in the Cessna T210N.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An on-scene examination by an FAA inspector and a Cessna representative revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and firewall. The fuel selector was set to the right tank and immovable due to impact. Salvage crew drained approximately 15 gallons from the right tank and 5 gallons from the left. No fuel spill was evident at the site, and vegetation under the wing caps and engine showed no discoloration from fuel exposure. The aircraft was moved to a secure facility; examination of the entire fuel system found no blockages or leaks. The fuel selector had no mechanical anomalies.
Tests and Research
The engine was test-run at Continental Motors on October 18, 2011, under supervision. It started immediately and ran through its full power band without interruption. No mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
A JPI EDM-930 engine monitor was downloaded. It recorded about 34 hours of data over 33 power cycles, including the last four flights. Data showed that the engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) on all six cylinders dropped abruptly from about 1,500°F to 300°F in three minutes. During this time, fuel pressure and fuel flow fluctuated for one minute before fuel flow returned to previous cruise level, but fuel pressure returned only to 14 psi versus a previous 15 psi. About a minute later both dropped to zero.
The pilot reported departing San Antonio with full tanks (90 gallons total, 87 usable). Fuel calculations based on his recollection and the EDM showed that after three previous flight segments and two refuelings (30 gallons each at Amarillo and Dumas), the aircraft should have had about 58 gallons on board at the time of the accident. However, only 20 gallons were drained postaccident, a discrepancy of 38 gallons that could not be accounted for.