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LAX03LA014

2002-10-21 · Riverside, California, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ONT

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

the pilot's failure to position the fuel selector to the tank containing fuel resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 21, 2002, at 1002 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210C, N9788X, collided with terrain during a forced landing near Riverside, California. The pilot/owner operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the remaining passenger sustained a serious injury. The airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport, and an instrument approach was in progress. The personal flight originated at Gallup, New Mexico, about 0645 mountain daylight time, and was destined for Ontario, California. The airplane lost engine power during the instrument approach into Ontario International Airport, and the pilot executed a forced landing on a hill about 5 miles east of the airport. According to flight planning information recovered from inside the airplane, it had departed Gallup with full fuel (63.5 useable gallons). The airplane had been airborne for about 3:17 hours at the time of the accident. Prior to disassembly of the airplane for recovery, the recovery agent drained the fuel tanks. The left tank contained about 13 gallons of a blue liquid with the odor of aviation gasoline. The right tank was empty.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and instrument ratings. The pilot held a certified flight instructor certificate. Examination of limited flight logbook information revealed an approximate total flight time of 628 hours. Of that time, 206 hours were in the accident make and model. The logbook documented a total of 20 actual instrument flight hours. The pilot's most recent instrument proficiency check flight occurred on April 8, 2002, and he completed a biennial flight review on April 23, 2002.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

Examination of logbook records revealed that the last documented annual inspection occurred on April 25, 2002, at 5,009 total flight hours. The records also revealed non-compliance with the provisions of Federal Air Regulation's 91.413 (transponder) and 91.411 (static and altimeter system) required 24-month check.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 0953, the Ontario International Airport was reporting: wind calm; visibility 1 3/4 miles; sky condition overcast at 700 feet above ground level; temperature 14 degrees Celsius; dew point 12 degrees Celsius; and altimeter setting 29.94 inHg.

TESTS AND RESEARCH INFORMATION

The engine was shipped to the manufacturer, Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM), for examination, and test run in a formal test cell with Safety Board oversight. After removal from bond storage, and with normal preparation, technicians installed the engine into a test cell. There were no substitute parts installed for the test run. The engine started on the first attempt, and the test cell operator advanced the engine rpm to 1,200 rpm for warm-up in preparation for full power operation. The engine accelerated normally without any hesitation or interruption in power. The cell operator advanced the engine rpm to 2,625 rpm (full throttle). The operator advanced the engine to full throttle (2,625 rpm) from idle (600 rpm) several times. It performed normally without any hesitation or interruptions in power. The operation of the engine was normal with no abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation and production of rated horsepower.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Safety Board released the wreckage to the owner's representative. During the instrument approach the engine quit, and the pilot attempted a forced landing in hilly terrain and poor visibility. According to flight planning information recovered from inside the airplane, it had departed with full fuel (63.5 useable gallons). The airplane had been airborne for about 3:17 hours at the time of the accident. Prior to disassembly of the airplane for recovery, the recovery agent drained the fuel tanks. The left tank had about 13 gallons of blue liquid with the odor of aviation gasoline, and the right tank was empty. The manufacturer ran the engine in a test cell. It performed normally without any hesitation or interruptions in power from idle to full throttle. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2002_LAX03LA014.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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