What happened
On Friday, February 1, 2002, at 16:30, a private Cessna 210 Centurion, registered D-ELBM, was engaged in a local flight from Cannes toward Montpellier. The flight path took the aircraft along the coast, passing over Sète, Nîmes, Salon-de-Provence, and Aix-en-Provence before the pilot attempted to return to Cannes. After approximately three hours of flight time, the pilot contacted the Cannes tower to report that the aircraft had run out of fuel and could not reach the airfield.
While flying over the disused runway at the Fréjus aerodrome, the pilot observed individuals on the ground and decided to abort the landing attempt. Consequently, the pilot opted to ditch the aircraft in the sea near Cap Dramont. Upon impact with the water, the aircraft sank. The pilot managed to kick open the door, evacuated the aircraft, and swam to the nearby coastline.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel management and the pilot's calculation of remaining endurance. The aircraft had been fully refueled in Valence, with an additional 310 liters added to the 329-liter usable capacity. The pilot had previously flown from Valence to Cannes the day before.
Investigators examined the pilot's method for monitoring fuel levels, noting that while the pilot used the fuel gauges, he also relied on manual time-based calculations. A specific Service Bulletin regarding the calibration of fuel gauges was also reviewed, which stated that when tanks are completely full, the maximum flight time is four hours. The pilot reported a sudden, unexpected drop in fuel level near Fréjus, which contradicted his recent manual calculations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's incorrect understanding of the aircraft's endurance when operating with full fuel tanks.
- The pilot relied on a calculated endurance of 4 hours and 30 minutes, whereas the actual maximum endurance with full tanks was only 4 hours.
- The pilot experienced a sudden drop in fuel level that was not anticipated by his manual time-based monitoring.