Accident Details
On December 11, 2016, at approximately 1815 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T210M, registration N761SZ, was involved in an accident near Mecca, California. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight was being conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, he had the fuel tanks filled before departing for the cross-country flight and confirmed they were full during the preflight inspection. He later had to change his intended flight route due to weather. During the flight, the fuel meter indicated a flow rate between 12 and 15 gallons per hour. When the pilot had the destination in sight and was descending for the approach, he observed that both fuel tank gauges read just below 1/4 tank and the fuel totalizer indicated about 22 gallons remaining. He then switched the fuel selector from the right to the left tank. Subsequently, the engine lost all power. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot chose to conduct a gear-up landing on hilly terrain approximately 10 miles east of the destination airport, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward fuselage.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane was examined about one month after the accident. The fuel line between the right header tank and selector valve had separated during impact. An unspecified amount of fuel was found in the wing tanks. Examination and testing of the fuel gauges and floats revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. No residual fuel was found in the gascolator. A small amount of fuel was found in the fuel pump and fuel manifold valve. There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Fuel Analysis
The engine manufacturer estimated that, assuming the fuel tanks were full at takeoff and using the time elapsed from takeoff to the loss of engine power and the fuel burn rate during the flight, it is likely that the fuel tanks contained 10 to 15 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident.