Accident Details
At approximately 0700 mountain daylight time on October 13, 2015, a Cessna T210K, registration N8273M, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing attempt near Boise Air Terminal (BOI) in Boise, Idaho. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by SP Aircraft under 14 CFR Part 135. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions were present, and no flight plan was filed. The non-scheduled cargo flight had departed Spokane International Airport (GEG) at 0422 Pacific daylight time, with a destination of BOI.
The pilot stated that he departed with approximately 30 gallons of fuel in each wing tank. During the flight, he became preoccupied with paperwork in the cockpit and failed to switch fuel tanks as planned at the halfway point. About 2 miles from BOI and at an altitude of about 650 feet above ground level, the engine surged and subsequently lost power. The pilot advanced the mixture, propeller, and throttle controls to their full forward positions and engaged the fuel boost pump but could not restore engine power. He did not verify the fuel selector position or attempt an engine restart. Quickly evaluating potential landing sites, he chose to land on a lighted interstate adjacent to the airport. When the airplane was a few hundred feet above the ground, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear, but it did not have enough time to extend. The airplane touched down on its belly and came to rest near the shoulder of the interstate.
In his written statement, the pilot noted that the engine failure could have been prevented by using the checklist provided in the aircraft during descent, which includes the task "manage fuel." During a follow-up telephone conversation, he stated that he was distracted during the descent and failed to use the checklist.
Postaccident Examination
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, except for the landing gear failing to extend during the approach. He attributed the gear failure to the loss of engine power but was unable to verify this assumption.
An examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the left aileron. The inspector recorded 22 gallons of fuel in the left tank and observed no evidence of fuel in the right tank. According to photographs taken at the accident site, the landing gear and doors were in the retracted position, and the landing gear handle was in the neutral position. The inspector verified fuel system continuity and functionality for both fuel boost pumps. An airframe and powerplant mechanic tested the landing gear under FAA supervision; no anomalies were found, as all three landing gear extended to their respective down and locked positions.
The aircraft manufacturer specifies that the retractable tricycle landing gear is operated by hydraulic actuators powered by an engine-driven hydraulic pump. To cycle the gear, the landing gear handle must be pulled out, moved to the desired position, and released. Pressure from the engine-driven hydraulic pump then actuates the gear into the selected position. The handle is held in place by a detent until the cycle completes, after which it automatically returns to the neutral position.