Accident Details
On March 13, 2018, at about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna T210N (registration N5382A) was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida. The commercial pilot and a passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot reported that he and a coworker were performing routine test flights with newly installed camera equipment. Earlier that morning, the pilot completed a two-hour test flight with no issues. After starting the engine and waiting about five minutes for the camera system to boot, the pilot taxied to the runway and received takeoff clearance. During climb, the pilot sensed an engine abnormality, though the engine continued producing power. All instruments and gauges showed normal readings. Upon reaching cruise altitude, the pilot reduced power and the engine stopped completely. The pilot notified air traffic control of the engine failure and executed a forced landing on a road.
Post-accident inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the empennage had separated from the fuselage. Both wings were buckled and leaking fuel.
Engine Examination
The engine was removed and sent to the manufacturer for further testing. During a test cell run, the engine operated normally up to about 2,100 rpm, then emitted black smoke from the exhaust and lost power when the throttle was increased, a behavior consistent with an overly rich fuel/air mixture. After leaning the fuel pump, subsequent test runs were normal. However, the unmetered pressure was at or above the maximum for full throttle. When the fuel pump was reset to its as-received setting, the same power loss occurred.
The throttle body and fuel pump were bench tested and both units failed to meet production standards.
Maintenance History
Maintenance logbook entries showed that on July 25, 2016, a fuel system adjustment was performed at a tachometer time of 9,854.4 hours. The last annual inspection occurred on February 25, 2018, at which time the engine had accumulated 455.6 hours since the adjustment.