Accident Overview
On March 16, 2018, at approximately 1445 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210M, registration N761DV, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. The accident occurred near Shelburne, Vermont. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by GV Air of Medford, Oregon, conducting a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Burlington International Airport (BTV), Burlington, Vermont, at about 1140.
According to the pilot, he conducted a preflight inspection but did not visually check either fuel tank because he had observed the airplane being fueled the previous day and assumed the tanks were full (44.5 gallons usable per tank, 89 gallons total). The airplane burned approximately 13.5 gallons per hour and had a total fuel endurance of 6.5 hours, which was sufficient for the planned 5-hour aerial survey. The pilot departed on the left tank and typically switched fuel tanks every hour for the first 4 hours of flight. At 1435, almost 3 hours into the flight, with the fuel selector on the left tank, the engine abruptly stopped producing power. The pilot pushed the mixture control full forward, turned the fuel pump on, switched the fuel selector to the right tank, and attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He then executed a forced landing on a snow-covered field. The airplane came to rest upright, with the nose wheel separating, causing substantial damage to the fuselage, engine mount, and firewall. The outboard section of the right wing was also damaged.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed that the left and right wing fuel tanks were undamaged and both fuel caps were secure. The left wing fuel tank was empty, and about 33 gallons of fuel were drained from the right tank. Further examination of the fuel system showed no evidence of leaks or staining on the airplane or surrounding area. Visual inspection of the engine revealed no mechanical deficiencies.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He reported 521 total hours of flight experience, with 65 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration second-class medical certificate was issued on November 18, 2017.
Weather reported at BTV at 1454 included wind from 290° at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,600 feet, overcast clouds at 7,000 feet, temperature -3°C, dewpoint -12°C, and a barometric pressure setting of 29.69 inches of mercury.