Event FTW94LA285

Factual narrative

On August 27, 1994, at 1131 central daylight time, a Cessna T210L, N1779X, was substantially damaged during landing at Amarillo International Airport, Amarillo, Texas. The private pilot and two of his four passengers received minor injuries. The other two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the planned personal cross country flight. On the enclosed Pilot/Operator Report, the pilot reported the following information. The flight departed Amarillo, Texas, for a planned flight to Pampa, Texas. During the initial climb, the mixture was leaned to 23 gph and the manifold pressure reduced to 25 inches. As the airplane was climbing between 4,500 feet MSL and 5,000 feet MSL, the engine "began sputtering." The pilot noted that the digital fuel flow meter was flashing at about 5 gph. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to the airport for landing. Approaching runway 4, the pilot lowered the landing gear, set the flaps to 10 degrees, and closed the throttle and mixture. The airplane made contact with the ground "while trying to line up with the runway." Contact with the ground was made at "full flare and about 65 mph at the left edge of runway 4." Runway 4 is 200 feet wide. The propeller, engine, fuselage and right wing were damaged. A Teledyne/Continental representative (enclosed report) arranged with the owner for an examination of the engine. He reported no anomalies that would have contributed to the loss of engine power. APPROACHING RUNWAY 4, FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CLIMB FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR, EXTENDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, AND CLOSED THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROL. DURING THE LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AS THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE 200 FOOT WIDE RUNWAY. THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, FUSELAGE, AND RIGHT WING WERE DAMAGED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE OWNER, DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12