Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Alturas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alturas, California 96101
Monday, August 27, 2012 12:12 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was making an approach for landing to runway 21 when he noticed that the wind was favoring runway 03. He executed a go-around and maneuvered to approach runway 03 for landing. During the approach to runway 03, he decided that he was too high to make a safe landing, and he executed another go-around. The pilot described the airplane's climb performance as “sluggish.” The pilot raised the flaps when the airplane was between 600 and 800 feet above ground level, and, shortly after, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot did not attempt to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump, switch fuel tanks, or adjust the mixture; he stated that the fuel selector was in the “both” position. The pilot executed a forced landing on a nearby highway, which resulted in damage to the right wing and left horizontal stabilizer. During the airplane’s recovery, a total of 22 gallons of fuel was obtained from three of the four fuel tanks. The fourth fuel tank had been breached during the accident sequence, and recovery personnel observed fuel draining from the damaged tank. The postaccident engine examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was climbing in conditions conducive to fuel vapor formation. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, when such conditions exist, it may be necessary to use the auxiliary fuel pump to attain or stabilize the fuel flow required for the type of climb being performed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel vaporization. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the auxiliary fuel pump when he noticed a degradation in the airplane’s climb performance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1212 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Alturas |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96101 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 472748N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1203257W |
| Event Location Airport | Alturas |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KAAT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4378 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4378 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KAAT 271955Z AUTO 26009KT 7SM CLR 26/M06 A3012 RMK |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33057 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2014 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | mckv |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | C-GFCK |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA373 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | P210 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | P21000767 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 5 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 5 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3272.1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Poodle Aircraft Hangars LTD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Vancouver |
| Aircraft Owner State | BC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | V6L-2X2 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Poodle Aircraft Hangars LTD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Vancouver |
| Operator State | BC |
| Operator Country | CA |
| Operator Zip code | V6L-2X2 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KBLI |
| Departure City | Bellingham |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KAAT |
| Destination City | Alturas |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2014 8:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | mckv |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 03 |
| Runway Length | 4300 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |