History of Flight
On June 24, 2018, about 1957 eastern daylight time, a Cessna P210N airplane, registration N3896P, was substantially damaged in an accident in Detroit, Michigan. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight.
The flight departed Baytown Airport (HPY), Baytown, Texas, and made a refueling stop at West Memphis Municipal Airport (AWM), West Memphis, Arkansas. According to the fixed-base operator (FBO) employee who fueled the airplane at AWM, the pilot requested 30 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel be added to each wing tank (60 gallons total). After refueling, the fuel level was about 1/4 inch below the top of the right tank and 1 to 2 inches below the top of the left tank.
Radar data indicated that the airplane departed AWM about 1642 and proceeded toward Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport (DET), Detroit, at altitudes of 11,500 ft and 9,500 ft mean sea level (msl), with a brief climb to 14,000 ft msl. The airplane then descended toward the destination. At 1948:26, the pilot established radio contact with the DET tower controller and was cleared to land on runway 33.
At 1949:50, the pilot reported no green light for the landing gear down. The controller offered to observe the gear during a low flyby. The pilot cycled the gear but reported partial extension. After a low pass, the controller noted the right main landing gear appeared still up. The pilot attempted to re-cycle the gear while turning left in the traffic pattern.
At 1954:59, the pilot stated he was not making progress with the gear. The controller suggested landing on runway 7/25 rather than on grass, and the pilot eventually requested runway 7. At 1956:38, the pilot reported running out of fuel. At 1956:42, the controller cleared the airplane to land on runway 7. No further communications were received.
Radar showed the airplane descending in a left turn toward a left base leg for runway 7. The final radar return at 1957:52 was at 800 ft msl (180 ft above ground level), about 0.92 mile northwest of the runway 7 threshold.
The surviving passenger reported sleeping most of the flight and waking during the traffic pattern. He heard the pilot communicating about a landing gear issue but did not recall seeing the gear position or hearing any cockpit sounds. He recalled the pilot stating they had run out of fuel.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 54, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on October 18, 2017, with a limitation for corrective lenses. On the application, the pilot reported 650 total hours of flight experience and 0 hours in the previous 6 months. Previous applications over 20 years did not report any flight time. A logbook was not located, so recent flight experience could not be determined.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1978 Cessna P210N (Centurion), serial number P21000071, with retractable tricycle landing gear and wing flaps. It had a pressurized six-seat cabin and total fuel capacity of 90 gallons (89 usable). On April 22, 2014, the airplane was modified with a Vitatoe Aviation turbo-normalized system on a Teledyne Continental IO-550P engine. The pilot purchased the airplane on April 18, 2018, at 2,487.8 total airframe hours.
Maintenance records indicated the last annual inspection was completed on January 29, 2018, at 2,486.3 total airframe hours, with the engine having 65 hours since new. The landing gear was successfully cycled multiple times during that inspection. On February 21, 2018, the gear was cycled at least 20 times after a diode replacement. On April 27, 2018, the left main landing gear leg was removed to replace a hydraulic fluid fitting and reinstalled with new seals.
In May 2018, the pilot reported an oil gauge rod fracture during a flight. An aviation mechanic found metal debris in the oil filter and told the pilot the engine needed overhaul. The pilot later returned with a different oil filter that showed no metal, but the mechanic again advised against flying without an overhaul.
Engine data from the J.P. Instruments EDM-730 and Appareo Stratus 2S showed the pilot flew six cross-country flights since purchase. During cruise, the pilot used a rich-of-peak leaning method with an average fuel flow of about 21 gph, different from the manufacturer's recommended lean-of-peak setting of 17.6 gph. On the accident flight, the average fuel flow was about 21 gph at 2,500 rpm and 25 inHg manifold pressure. At 1956:36, fuel flow dropped to zero, along with rpm, CHT, and exhaust gas temperatures, after 71.6 gallons had been used.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage was found in a vacant lot with a 240-ft debris path on a 137° magnetic heading. Broken tree branches and a severed power line were along the path. The propeller separated and was found 75 ft away. The fuselage, empennage, wings, and engine were inverted and burned. Flight control continuity was established. The flap actuator indicated 10° extension.
Both wing fuel tanks were damaged. The fuel selector was positioned to draw from the right tank, and functional testing showed no anomalies. The nose and right main landing gear were found fully extended and locked; the left main landing gear was fully retracted and locked in the wheel well. Both main gear could be moved manually between positions without issues. The landing gear selector and emergency extension handles were not found. The gear hydraulic motor/pump was fire-damaged, but no internal leaks or mechanical damage were found. Functional testing of the actuators showed normal operation.
The left main landing gear downlock switch plunger was bent and jammed closed, not contacting the gear leg when extended. A multimeter confirmed the switch was stuck closed. The right downlock switch worked normally. The left uplock switch did not contact the gear leg when retracted. No electrical anomalies were found on the uplock switches.
The engine remained attached, with the propeller flange separated from the crankshaft. Propeller blades showed minor S-shape bending and scratching. Internal continuity was confirmed, and compression/ion was noted on all cylinders. No mechanical malfunctions were found in the engine or its components. The oil filter had no metallic material; the oil sump contained three small metal pieces consistent with the fractured oil gauge rod, and scratches on the crankcase interior matched those remnants.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board did not state a probable cause in the provided source material.