History of Flight
On November 16, 2013, about 2230 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T-210F, N6186R, experienced a forced landing at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Station (NFG) in Oceanside, California. The owner/pilot and his two non-pilot rated passengers were uninjured. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no FAA flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that the airplane was based at Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), Hawthorne, California. He arrived at HHR about 0900 that morning with approximately 18 gallons of fuel on board; the tanks had a total capacity of at least 65 gallons. The pilot and one passenger departed HHR for Van Nuys (VNY), California, to pick up another passenger. They then flew to Zamperini Field (TOA) in Torrance, California, where the pilot purchased either $100 or $120 worth of fuel, which the NTSB determined to be approximately 15 to 20 gallons. Subsequently, the flight proceeded to and landed at Catalina Island (AVX), Avalon, California; Montgomery Field (MYF), San Diego, California; and Gillespie Field (SEE), San Diego/El Cajon, California. No additional fuel was purchased at those locations.
About 2210, the pilot, two passengers, and two dogs departed SEE for HHR. The fuel totalizer indicated sufficient fuel for the flight plus 30 to 40 minutes of reserve. Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of about 3,500 feet, the engine sputtered. The pilot determined the right tank was empty and switched to the left tank, which he believed contained 18 gallons based on the totalizer. He turned toward the nearest airport, NFG. Shortly thereafter, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot determined the left tank was also nearly empty. He attempted to contact NFG air traffic control on the published frequency and on 121.5 MHz, but received no response. According to FAA information, the tower was closed in accordance with its normal schedule.
While descending through an estimated altitude between 2,000 and 1,500 feet, the pilot saw lights he initially believed were runway lights at NFG, but they turned out to be building lights. He eventually spotted taxiway lights and turned toward them. The runway lights activated while the airplane was still airborne, but the pilot could not align with the runway. Unable to reach the runway, he landed on a taxiway in a ramp area. The airplane was not aligned with the taxiway and crossed onto grass, where it struck a berm, damaging the nosegear. None of the persons were injured, but one unrestrained dog sustained minor injuries.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land ratings. He reported a total flight experience of approximately 1,400 hours, including about 400 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
Additional Information
The airplane was equipped with a fuel flow and totalizer unit that displayed fuel consumption rates, fuel used, and fuel remaining. The fuel remaining parameter was derived from a pilot input of known fuel quantity minus fuel consumed. The pilot’s habit pattern, based on previous experience with the unit's accuracy, involved not verifying fuel quantity by visually inspecting or sticking the tanks; he relied solely on the fuel totalizer indications and ignored the airplane's fuel quantity gauges.
Based on the pilot's information, he had attempted to fly at least 250 miles and conduct six takeoffs on less than 40 gallons of fuel. Review of the airplane manufacturer’s performance data indicated that a minimum of about 36 to 40 gallons would have been required, and the required quantity could have been significantly greater depending on power settings, engine leaning, and actual flight times and distances.
Damage and Fuel
Post-accident examination by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The fuel tanks were undamaged, and a total of about 2.5 gallons were recovered from them. According to the manufacturer’s published information, the unusable fuel quantity is 2.5 gallons per tank, totaling 5 gallons.