Accident Overview
On June 3, 2018, at about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, registration N66ML, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Clovis, New Mexico. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions, and no flight plan had been filed.
Flight Sequence
The flight departed Clovis Municipal Airport (CVN) at about 1040. While descending to land at an altitude of 6,500 ft mean sea level, the pilot made a throttle adjustment, after which the engine lost power. The pilot switched to the left fuel tank, turned on the electric auxiliary fuel pump, and engaged the starter in an attempt to restart the engine, but it did not restart. During the forced landing, the airplane collided with a wire from powerlines adjacent to the road the pilot was aiming for. The left aileron and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Fuel Information
The pilot reported departing with 17 gallons of fuel in the right tank and 22 gallons in the left tank. After the accident, the recovery team drained 2 gallons from the left tank and 9 gallons from the right tank. The FAA inspector noted that the left wing fuel drain was impact-damaged and had leaked a small amount of fuel.
System Examination
Examination of the fuel system revealed no anomalies or contamination that would have obstructed fuel flow. An engine run test was conducted, and the engine started and ran without interruption. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe, fuel system, or engine that would have precluded normal operations.
Pilot Operating Handbook References
The Pilot Operating Handbook for the Cessna T210M lists a total fuel capacity of 90 gallons (45 gallons per tank, with 1 gallon unusable in each). The emergency restart procedure during flight specifies: airspeed 85 KIAS, check fuel quantity, select fuller tank, mixture rich, auxiliary fuel pump on for 3-5 seconds with throttle half open then off, ignition switch to BOTH (or START if propeller stopped), and advance throttle slowly. The fuel system description warns that when tanks are ¼ full or less, prolonged uncoordinated flight (such as slips or skids) can uncover fuel outlets, causing fuel starvation and engine stoppage. It also cautions that excessive use of the auxiliary pump at high altitude with full rich mixture can cause engine flooding, indicated by a short period of power followed by a loss of power.