WPR21LA078

Factual narrative

On January 2, 2021, about 1430 mountain standard time, a Cessna P210N airplane, N833RT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Moab, Utah. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane was brought into a hangar for a few hours to melt ice that had accumulated on the airframe. When the engine would not start after several attempts, the airplane was brought back into the hangar for a few more hours to warm the engine. After the initial engine startup, the oil pressure and oil temperature indications were confirmed, and the pilot taxied the airplane to the runup area. The engine runup revealed no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, about 100 to 200 ft above ground level (agl), the engine began to run rough and lost partial power. The pilot retracted the landing gear but soon felt additional loss of engine power followed by a loss of altitude and maneuverability. The pilot extended the landing gear and performed a forced landing onto the remaining runway. The airplane landed on the left side of the runway before veering right and exiting into the snow-covered runway safety area. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on the right-wing tip and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that the landing gear was possibly not in the fully extended position upon landing. The front passenger reported to the pilot that the fuel flow gauge indicated about 42 gallons of fuel per hour (gph) during the takeoff. At 1453, the recorded weather at Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY), Moab, Utah, included wind from 330° at 8 knots, and a temperature of -6 C°. The airplane was installed with a Continental IO-550 engine that was converted from a normally aspirated engine to a turbo-normalized engine on November 9th, 2020. This was also the date of the last annual inspection with an engine total time of 0.0 hours. The engine had about 40 hours of operation at the time of the accident. Vitatoe Aviation owns the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA02918CH that was installed. Recovered engine data revealed a loss of rpm, manifold pressure, and fuel pressure during the takeoff. These values were restored shortly before dropping again. Manifold pressure and fuel flow values reached a maximum of 33.7 inHg and 47.9 gph, respectively. During a postaccident test run, the engine hesitated; however, manifold pressure indicated 34.2 in Hg and the fuel flow was 44 gph, at 2,720 rpm. After the engine was at normal operating temperature, the manifold pressure and fuel flow displayed nominal values when the engine was operated at 2,700 rpm. Following the engine test run, a test flight was performed with no anomalies noted through multiple power settings. No component adjustments were made to the engine during the test run. The Vitatoe Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) Supplement Rev. B issued on July 24, 2014, stated: On the first flight of the day, when the throttle is advanced for takeoff, manifold pressure will normally exceed 31.0 inches Hg and fuel flows will exceed 37 GPH if the throttle is opened fully. Momentary manifold pressures up to 33.0 inches Hg are acceptable. If manifold pressure consistently exceeds 31.0 inches of Hg, mechanical adjustment may be necessary. On any takeoff, the manifold pressure should be monitored, and the throttle set to provide 31.0 inches Hg; then, for maximum engine power, a full rich mixture should provide at least 35 GPH (36-37 GPH preferred). The pilot was departing on the first flight of the day in cold weather conditions after the airplane had spent several hours inside a hangar to melt ice from the airframe and warm the engine. About 100-200 ft above ground level (agl) shortly after takeoff, the engine began to run rough and lost partial power. He retracted the landing gear, and the engine subsequently lost additional power. The pilot decided to land on the remaining runway and extended the landing gear. The airplane landed on the left side of the runway before veering right and exiting into the snow-covered runway safety area. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on the right wingtip and right horizontal stabilizer. The front passenger reported to the pilot that the fuel flow gauge read about 42 gallons of fuel per hour (gph) during the takeoff. Recovered engine data indicated that fuel flow values exceeded 47 gph before the second loss of engine power. During an engine test run, the engine hesitated when the throttle was advanced, and the manifold pressure indicated 34.2 inHg, fuel flow 44 gph, at 2,720 rpm. After the engine reached a normal operating temperature, the engine ran normally. No component adjustments were made to the engine during the test run. According to the engine operating handbook, during the first flight of the day, the manifold pressure will normally exceed 31 inHg and fuel flows will exceed 37 gph if the throttle is opened fully. The handbook advised that manifold pressure be monitored and that the throttle be set to provide 31 inches of manifold pressure. It is likely that, during takeoff, the pilot fully advanced the throttle, which resulted in a high manifold pressure and high fuel flow, an excessively rich fuel/air mixture, and a subsequent loss of engine power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action selection-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine fuel and control-Fuel controlling system-Capability exceeded