Event LAX97LA012

Factual narrative

On October 8, 1996, at 2045 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310Q, N7833Q, crashed about 450 feet east of runway 28 at Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, California. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Reno International Airport, Reno, Nevada, about 2030. Safety Board investigators interviewed the pilot via telephone on October 8, 1996. The pilot said that when he was on the downwind leg of runway 28, he became preoccupied with the radios and forgot to switch the fuel tanks' selector handles from the auxiliary tanks to the main tanks. After he switched the fuel selector handles to the main tanks, both engines lost power. He attempted to restart the engines, but without success. The airplane's altitude was insufficient to make the airport and he landed short of the runway. The pilot also told the investigating FAA inspector from the Reno Flight Standards District Office that after both engines lost power, he turned on the boost pumps. He said that he didn't feather the propellers or retract the landing gear and was unable to extend the glide to the runway. The FAA inspector reported that he did not find any fuel in the main fuel tanks. He also said that the main fuel tanks and their associated components were not compromised during the impact sequence. While turning on the final approach, with the landing gear extended, the pilot switched the fuel tanks' selector handles from the auxiliary fuel tanks to the main fuel tanks. Shortly thereafter, both engines sustained a total loss of power. The pilot turned on the boost pumps to restart both engines, but without success. During the ensuing emergency landing, the pilot did not retract the landing gear or feather both propellers. The airplane landed about 450 feet short of the runway. The postaccident examination of the airplane disclosed that both main fuel tanks were empty. Neither the main fuel tanks nor their associated components were compromised during the impact sequence. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12