N66MLCessna T210M · 1978

On June 3, 2018, about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, N66ML, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Clovis, New Mexico. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight. The local flight departed Clovis Municipal Airport (CVN), Clovis, New Mexico, about 1040. According to the written statement submitted by the pilot, he was descending to land, and was at an altitude of 6,500 ft mean sea level. He had just made an engine throttle adjustment, when the engine lost power. The pilot changed to the left fuel tank, turned the electric auxiliary fuel pump on, and engaged the engine starter in attempted to restart the engine. The engine did not restart. During the forced landing the airplane collided with a wire from powerlines adjacent to the road the pilot was attempting to land on. The left aileron and the fuselage were substantially damaged during the forced landing.

The pilot added that he had departed with 17 gallons of fuel in the right fuel tank and 22 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank. According to the team that recovered the airplane, 2 gallons of fuel were recovered from the left fuel tank and 9 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right fuel tank. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident reported that the fuel drain on the left wing was impact damaged and a small amount of fuel had leaked out of that wing.

An examination of the fuel system revealed no anomalies or contamination that would have obstructed the fuel flow. An engine run was conducted on the engine and the engine started and ran without interruption. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airframe, fuel system, or engine that would have precluded normal operations.

The Pilot Operating Handbook for the Cessna T210M, Operating Limitations, listed 90 gallons total fuel; 45 gallons in each tank and 1 gallon unusable fuel. In the Emergency Procedures Section, the engine restart procedures during flight were outlined as:

1. Airspeed – 85 KIAS

2. Fuel Quantity – CHECK

3. Fuel Selector Valve – FULLER TANK

4. Mixture – RICH

5. Auxiliary Fuel Pump – ON for 3-5 seconds with throttle ½ open; then OFF

6. Ignition Switch – BOTH (or START if propeller is stopped)

7. Throttle – ADVANCE slowly

The Airplane & Systems Description, Fuel System, goes on to state in part that

"…When the fuel tanks are ¼ full or less, prolonged uncoordinated flight such as slips or skids can uncover the fuel tank outlets, causing fuel starvation and engine stoppage. Therefore, with low fuel reserves, do not allow the airplane to remain in uncoordinated flight for periods in excess of one minute."

It goes on to caution that "Excessive use of the ON position [auxiliary fuel pump] at high altitude and full rich mixture can cause flooding of the engine as indicated by a short period of power followed by a loss of power."