Accident Details
On March 25, 2020, at about 1655 Central Daylight Time, a Cessna T210 N airplane, registration N5553C, was substantially damaged when it struck terrain near Waxahachie, Texas. The private pilot sustained serious injury. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot intended to fly to Live Oak County Airport (8T6) in George West, Texas.
Witness Observations
Witnesses observed the airplane depart from Mid-Way Regional Airport (JWY) on runway 18. They reported that the engine did not sound as if it was producing takeoff power. The airplane climbed to an estimated 50 to 100 feet above ground level and then initiated a right turn, followed by a hard left downwind turn. The airplane subsequently descended nose-down and impacted terrain, cartwheeling twice before coming to rest upright. The left wing was fractured mid-span, and the engine separated from the fuselage. Witnesses noted that the pilot could have landed on the remaining runway or the half-mile of open space past the runway end, and that a strong tailwind was present when the airplane turned downwind.
Pilot and Preflight Actions
The pilot reported that he did not believe he could safely land off the departure end of the runway when the engine lost power due to a creek and trees. He mentioned that rain had fallen a couple days before the accident and that he drained a substantial amount of water from the fuel tanks prior to the flight. He stated he let the airplane sit, then sumped the tanks again until only fuel was observed. He planned to fly the traffic pattern several times to verify proper operation.
A family member informed investigators that the pilot intended to fly the airplane to Live Oak County Airport. The pilot had the airplane refueled before departure. The lineman who performed the refueling noted that the pilot was sumping the fuel tanks and asked to fuel the left tank first because he was "getting a lot of stuff" from the right tank. The lineman observed rust around the right fuel cap, filler neck, and gasket, but none on the left side. He topped off both tanks with 41.2 gallons of fuel (total capacity 90 gallons).
Mechanic Involvement
A mechanic who had performed the last two annual inspections on the airplane was present and witnessed the accident. He stated that during the 2019 annual inspection, he had completely drained the fuel tanks and ran the engine for about 45 minutes without issues. He expected the pilot to retrieve the airplane after that inspection, but the pilot did not until the day of the accident. On that day, the mechanic helped the pilot sump several cups of water from the fuel tanks before refueling. He advised the pilot to sump the tanks again, taxi, and perform a thorough run-up before flying. According to the mechanic, the pilot replied that he did not have time for that and needed to proceed.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the accident, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector drained two sump cups of contaminants and water from the left header fuel tank and 12 sump samples of water from the right header tank. An engine examination revealed that fuel injector lines to cylinders 2, 3, and 6 contained liquid consistent with AVGAS, while the lines to cylinders 1, 4, and 5 contained water. The inlet line to the fuel divider was removed and yielded water and a thick grey paste. Disassembly of the fuel flow divider showed the diaphragm and spring were intact, but a fine sand-like material was present on top of the diaphragm. The steel ring at the center of the fuel screen was completely covered in rust, and the inlet side of the screen contained similar sand-like material. A large amount of foreign material was found within the fuel divider, and no odor or indication of AVGAS was detected. No other anomalies that could have contributed to a loss of engine power were identified.
Maintenance History
A review of the maintenance logbooks indicated the last three annual inspections occurred on September 27, 2016 (4,973.4 total hours), December 18, 2017 (4,981.2 hours), and September 19, 2019 (4,981.7 hours). At the time of the accident, the tachometer read 4,981.9 hours. The pilot stated that after the 2019 annual inspection, he decided to leave the airplane at JWY to have it repainted. One witness reported that the airplane had flown very little in the three years prior to the accident and had been stored outside at JWY during that period.