History of Flight
On November 7, 2012, at about 1204 central standard time, a Cessna P210N, registration N887JA, impacted terrain after a loss of engine power following takeoff from runway 26 at Dennis F. Cantrell Field Airport (CWS), Conway, Arkansas. The airplane was returning to the airport when it struck trees and airport property. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed but not activated for the flight en route to University-Oxford Airport (UOX), Oxford, Mississippi.
On November 5, 2012, the airplane was fueled with 37 gallons of fuel for an unknown total amount for a flight from Topeka, Kansas, to Oxford, Mississippi. The flight duration was approximately 2 hours. The next flight was on the day of the accident from UOX to CWS. No record of subsequent fueling was found.
On the accident day, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from UOX to CWS and a return IFR flight plan from CWS to UOX, with fuel on board listed as 4 hours and 3 hours, respectively. Proposed departure times from UOX and CWS were 0940 and 1130. The airplane departed UOX, flew about one hour to CWS, remained for about an hour, and then departed on the accident flight. No refueling record was found at CWS.
A witness reported that after departure, at about 500 feet above ground level (AGL), the rear landing gear wheels retracted, and there was an "engine surge almost like an RPM drop." At about 750 feet AGL, the airplane pitched up slightly, banked right, and no engine noise was heard. The airplane continued the right turn, and before the right wing impacted a tree, the witness heard engine RPM and stated it was "like the throttle was pushed to full power" and "almost like the engine had started again." Another witness stated that at about 300 feet AGL, the airplane stalled, banked hard right, descended, and impacted on its side.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings and was issued a third-class medical certificate on April 24, 2012, with the limitation: must wear corrective lenses. The pilot's logbook showed a total flight time of approximately 3,381.1 hours, of which approximately 2,478.3 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The logbook also indicated flight review entries on September 18 and 19, 2012, for 1.3 and 1.2 hours, respectively.
Aircraft Information
The 1981 Cessna P210N, serial number P2100755, was equipped with a turbo-normalized Continental Motors Inc. IO-550-P engine (serial number 1005458), installed on December 28, 2011, at a total airframe time of 4,605.0 hours, under supplemental type certificate (STC) SA02918CH, replacing the original Continental Motors Inc. TSIO-520-P engine. The STC flight manual supplement did not contain flight performance charts but included procedures for leaning the engine. According to the STC holder, both the original and STC engines are rated at 310 BHP at 2700 RPM, with the STC engine rated plus 5 percent, minus 0 percent. The STC holder stated that the engine provides equal or better performance, cooler operation, and better fuel economy.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane rested on its right side about 800 feet north of the departure end of runway 26, on a tail-to-nose southwesterly heading. The outboard section of the right wing was separated and located near a damaged tree about 155 feet southwest of the airplane. No evidence of fire was found. The main and nose wheel landing gear actuators were retracted, and the cockpit landing gear selector was in the retracted position. The cockpit flap indicator showed a 10-degree extension, and the flap actuator was extended about 2.45 inches (consistent with about 10 degrees). Slash marks consistent with propeller strikes were found on the pavement between the tree and the airplane. All three propeller blades were loose in their hubs and displayed chordwise scratches and S-shaped bending. The fuel selector and fuel selector valve were positioned to the left fuel tank. About two tablespoons of fuel were drained from the fuel strainer, which contained no contaminant. Neither of the two header fuel tanks, with an approximate capacity of a half-gallon each, contained fuel. No fuel smell or foliage discoloration consistent with a fuel spill was present at the accident site. The hour meter indicated 2,490.7 hours, and the tachometer indicated 155.1 hours.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Federal Aviation Administration Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report stated that carbon monoxide and cyanide testing were not performed; specimens were unsuitable for analysis. No ethanol was detected in the vitreous. Lidocaine was detected in blood and urine. Lidocaine is a prescription local anesthetic and anti-arrhythmic agent.
Tests and Research
The engine was removed and examined at Continental Motors Inc. under NTSB supervision. The examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction, and the engine ran within test specifications. The airplane was equipped with a J.P. Instruments Engine Data Management (EDM) system, a Shadin Digital Fuel Management system, and a Garmin 196 GPS. Nonvolatile memory from these systems was downloaded. EDM data showed that about 45 seconds before the end of recorded data, parameters consistent with takeoff increased. About 15 seconds before the end, parameters decreased, consistent with engine shutdown, preceded by a reduction in fuel flow. About 5 seconds before the end, parameters rose again. The Shadin system is not connected to the fuel quantity indicating system; fuel quantities are manually entered. The download showed 67.4 gallons remaining and 21.5 gallons used, with no time or date stamp for the last reset. The Garmin 196 was not used during the flight, and the last data was recorded on June 28, 2012.