History of Flight
On April 27, 2012, at approximately 1520 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210, registration N6564X, experienced a complete loss of engine power while in cruise flight near Fowler's Bluff, Florida. The pilot executed a forced landing onto a paved road. The airplane was registered to BFI America Inc and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), West Palm Beach, Florida, around 1330, with an intended destination of Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, Florida.
According to the pilot, while cruising at about 3,000 feet above mean sea level, the engine began losing power and eventually ceased operation. He performed a forced landing on a paved road. Prior to departure, the airplane had been refueled at PBI with 22 gallons of fuel. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot switched fuel tanks but could not recall which tanks he switched from or to. After the power loss, he switched fuel tanks, applied full rich mixture, and verified the magnetos were set to the "BOTH" position, repeating these actions several times. During the landing roll, the nosewheel left the paved surface, causing the airplane to nosed over and come to rest inverted. After exiting the aircraft, the pilot was informed by local officials of a fuel leak; he then turned off the fuel selector valve, magneto switch, and battery master.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 61, held an Airline Transport pilot certificate for single-engine and multiengine land aircraft, a flight instructor certificate with corresponding ratings, and a third-class airman medical certificate issued December 12, 2011, with no limitations. He reported 8,000 total flight hours, including 300 hours in the accident aircraft make and model. His most recent flight review was completed on August 27, 2011.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, retractable landing gear Cessna 210 was manufactured in July 1960. It was powered by a Continental Motors IO-470-E20, 260-horsepower engine and equipped with a McCauley controllable pitch propeller. The most recent annual inspection occurred on February 2, 2012, at an airframe total time of 4,162 hours. The engine had been overhauled at the manufacturer's facility and installed on the accident airplane on January 15, 2012. At the time of the accident, the engine had 11 total hours in service.
Meteorological Information
The 1453 recorded weather observation at Cross City Airport (CTY), Cross City, Florida, located 14 miles northwest of the accident site, included variable wind, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 14 degrees Celsius, and barometric altimeter 30.09 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the airplane and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a representative from the engine manufacturer revealed substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the cabin and to the left wing. Blue fluid, consistent with 100LL aviation fuel, was found within the fuel manifold; however, the engine-driven fuel pump supply line was devoid of fuel. Approximately one-half ounce of blue fluid was present in the fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the fuel manifold valve. The airframe electric fuel boost pump operated on both "HIGH" and "LO" settings, but no fluid was observed exiting the pump. Examination of the area surrounding the accident location, roughly two weeks later, revealed no blight on the surrounding vegetation.
According to a deputy with the Levy County Sheriff's Office, the occupants were uninjured, and the airplane had come to rest at the edge of a county highway. There was no evidence of fuel leaking at the scene, nor had anyone reported a leak. An individual who removed the airplane from the road reported draining fuel prior to removing the wings. He removed 25 gallons of fuel from the left wing, while the right wing was devoid of fuel.
Additional Information
On August 1, 2012, the engine was examined at the manufacturer's facility with oversight from an NTSB investigator. The initial examination revealed no impact damage, and the engine was not disassembled prior to installation in a test cell. The engine started on the first attempt without hesitation and operated throughout the test without stumbling or interruption in power. No malfunctions or abnormalities were noted that would have prevented normal operation.
According to the cruise performance section of the Cessna 210 Owner Manual, at 2,500 feet and depending on the cruise power setting, fuel consumption could range from 6.6 to 14.2 gallons per hour, with speeds from 121 to 181 mph (105 to 158 knots). Although an accurate airspeed determination could not be made, data from a commercially available flight tracking service indicated the airplane's groundspeed ranged from 137 to 147 knots for a 20-minute segment from 1345 to 1405 at an altitude of 2,500 feet above mean sea level. The remaining portion of the flight provided only approximate or estimated data.