Incident
On October 26, 2014, about 1221 central daylight time, a Cessna T210M, Mexican registration XBNCZ, collided with trees following a loss of engine power while on final approach to land at Brownsville International Airport (BRO), Brownsville, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured, but the airplane was substantially damaged.
Aircraft and Flight
The aircraft was registered to the pilot and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which originated from Monterrey, Mexico.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported performing a preflight inspection before departure but did not visually check the fuel quantity in the fuel tanks. During the flight, the left fuel tank ran dry, prompting the pilot to switch to the right tank. While on final approach to runway 17 at BRO at 70 knots with 20 degrees of flaps extended, the pilot attempted to add power but realized the engine was not producing power. The airplane continued to descend, contacting trees and terrain about half a mile north of the airport. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage during the impact.
Post-Accident Examination
At the accident site, the fuel tanks were intact. The right tank contained about one-eighth of a tank of fuel, and the fuel selector was found in the right tank position. The left tank was empty.