N761SZCessna T210M · 1978

On December 11, 2016, about 1815 Pacific standard time, a Cessna T210M, N761SZ, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Mecca, California. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he had the fuel tanks filled before departing for the cross-country flight, and he confirmed they were full during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that he had to change his intended flight route due to weather. During the flight, the fuel meter indicated a flow rate of between 12 and 15 gallons per hour. When the pilot had the destination in sight and was descending for the approach, he noted that both fuel tank gauges were reading just below 1/4 tank and that the fuel totalizer was showing about 22 gallons were remaining. He then switched from the right to the left tank. Subsequently, the engine lost all power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, so he chose to conduct a gear-up landing on hilly terrain about 10 miles east of the destination airport, resulting in substantial damage to the forward fuselage.

The airplane was examined about 1 month after the accident. The fuel line between the right header tank and selector valve had separated during impact. An unspecified amount of fuel was found in the wing tanks. Examination and testing of the fuel gauges and floats revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. No residual fuel was found in the gascolator. A small amount of fuel was found in the fuel pump and fuel manifold valve. There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.

The engine manufacturer estimated that, assuming the fuel tanks were full at takeoff and using the time elapsed from takeoff to the loss of engine power and the fuel burn rate during the flight, it is likely that the fuel tanks had 10 to 15 gallons of fuel in them at the time of the accident.