Accident Details
On December 27, 2024, at 2103 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210L, registration N505SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP), Gallup, New Mexico. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Earlier that day, the pilot had purchased 56.6 gallons of fuel. The fuel gauges indicated both tanks were full, but she did not visually verify the fuel level. The pilot and passenger departed GUP and flew to Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), Lake Havasu City, Arizona, with an enroute stop at Cottonwood Airport (P52), Cottonwood, Arizona. These two flight legs totaled 3 hours according to the airplane's tachometer.
At HII, the pilot used a self-serve fuel pump to add about 10 gallons of 100LL fuel to each wing tank. The fuel gauges indicated 35 gallons per tank (70 total), but again, the pilot did not visually verify. The return flight to GUP departed around 1900 and lasted two hours.
On the base turn for runway 24 at GUP, the pilot noted a faster-than-expected descent and added engine power, but the engine did not respond. She verified the engine controls and fuel selector; the fuel gauges appeared half-full. Unable to reach the runway, she executed a forced landing in a vacant lot about 1,800 feet west of the runway. During the landing, the airplane struck power lines and rough terrain, causing substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Post-Accident Examination
Two days after the accident, the airplane was moved to a parking lot at GUP. The pilot observed an unknown quantity of fuel leaking from the belly. The airport manager noted only trace amounts of fuel in the airplane's fuel system.
About two months later, the airplane was transported to a storage facility. Personnel disassembling the airplane drained fuel from each wing tank: approximately 3 to 4 ounces from the left tank and about 16 ounces from the right tank. The fuel selector was set to the left tank; impact damage prevented manual rotation.
Examination revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunctions or anomalies. The left fuel collector tank had a small crack (less than 0.125 inch long) on its upper surface, ringed with blue fuel stains. No other leaks or breaches were found in the fuel system. The engine was test-run and operated smoothly and continuously through various power settings.
Fuel System Characteristics
The fuel system consisted of two vented integral wing tanks and two reservoir (collector) tanks. Fuel flowed by gravity from the integral tanks to the reservoir tanks, then to a three-position selector valve labeled LEFT ON, RIGHT ON, and OFF. Fuel cannot be used from both tanks simultaneously. Total fuel capacity is 90 gallons, of which one gallon (0.5 gallon per tank) is considered unusable. Fuel consumption rates range from 6 to 20 gallons per hour under normal conditions and 20 to 28 gallons per hour during takeoff and climb.