Accident Overview
On May 18, 2013, at about 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210-5A (registration N4848U) was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Pangborn Memorial Airport in Wenatchee, Washington. The commercial pilot and four passengers were not injured. The pilot was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which had originated from Chehalis, Washington, approximately 2 hours earlier. No flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that he intended to refuel at Pangborn Memorial Airport. While on the base leg of a traffic pattern for landing on runway 30, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot stated that the airplane landed "tail low," causing the underside to scrape the ground. He believed that "vapor lock or a fuel system defect were potential causes" for the loss of engine power.
One passenger recalled that the engine failed when the airplane was perpendicular to the runway. The airplane seemed to be still turning as it touched down hard. The passenger said the airplane bounced, and upon the second touchdown, it was aligned with the runway. After rolling to a stop, the pilot attempted to restart the engine but it would not start. The pilot and passengers exited and began pushing the airplane clear of the runway. An airport ground crew arrived with a tug to tow the airplane to the ramp. After the tow, the pilot purchased about 50 gallons of fuel. The group then boarded, departed, and flew to Stehekin, Washington, without further incident.
Post-Accident Remarks
The line service technician who drove the tug asked if the pilot needed a mechanic. The pilot replied, "no, we ran out of fuel." When asked if that occurred during run-up, the pilot said, "no, in the air. We were going to pass Wenatchee, but [I] got our [fuel] numbers off."
Damage Examination
After the airplane was flown back to its home base in Tonasket, Washington, the owner had a mechanic inspect it. The inspection found that the tail tie-down bolt had been pushed upward into the aft bulkhead, and the aft bulkhead and lower fuselage stringer were bent and deformed, requiring replacement.