Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary ATL90FA016

PEACHTREE CITY, GA, USA

Aircraft #1

N8444M

CESSNA T210M

Analysis

THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE PWR ON FINAL, AND WAS LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY ON UNEVEN TERRAIN. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED 1-2 QTS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE LT TANK & 6-7 GALLONS IN THE RT TANK. THE LT FUEL QTY GAUGE INDICATED 5 GALLONS REMAINING IN THE LT TANK. THE PVT PLT & THE CHECK PLT STATED THAT THE LT TANK WAS IN USE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER; THEY NOTED THAT THE 44 GAL LT TANK WAS FULL WHEN THEY PRE-FLIGHTED THE ACFT, AND THAT THEY OPERATED ON THE LT TANK FOR A TOTAL OF 1 HR 40 MIN DURING THE FLT. ACCORDING TO THE AIRFRAME LOG, THE FUEL GAUGES WERE RECENTLY RECALIBRATED. THE PLT, WHO RECENTLY BOUGHT THE ACFT, NOTED THAT THE ACFT HAD PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH IN-FLT FUEL SIPHONING WHICH WERE REPORTEDLY FIXED. INVESTIGATION ALSO REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING WAS FROM AN OLDER MODEL 210. THE AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE RECORDS CONTAINED NO RECORD OF ANY MAJOR REPAIRS/MODS. ACCORDING TO NTSB FILES, THE ACFT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN 1984. IT WAS REPORTED AS SCRAPPED TO THE FAA IN 1985, AND RE-REGISTERED IN 1987.

Probable Cause and Findings

THE IMPROPER CALIBRATION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN ERRONEOUS FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS AND LED TO FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE FORCED-LANDING SITE.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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