Cessna T210L incident near Clewiston, Florida, December 18, 2011
On December 18, 2011 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N717KW, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Clewiston, Florida (Airglades Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2011 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clewiston, Florida · Airglades Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N717KW · registry record · serial 21060816
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he began the flight with about 15 to 18 gallons of fuel on board. About 45 minutes into the flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot performed an off-airport landing. During the approach, the pilot noticed a power line, overran the field, and the airplane came to rest submerged in a freshwater canal with only the left wing above the water. A postrecovery examination revealed that the fuel selector valve in the cockpit was selected to the left fuel tank, the left fuel tank and the fuel lines to the engine were devoid of fuel, and the right fuel tank contained about 2 gallons of fuel. No fuel or oil was observed in the water around the airplane. No mechanical malfunctions were noted that would have prevented normal operation. According to the pilot’s operating handbook, about 0.5 gallon of fuel per tank is unusable. Although some usable fuel was recovered from the right tank, based on the airplane’s fuel consumption data, fuel exhaustion would have been imminent. Further, the quantity of fuel on board was insufficient to meet the 30-minute day visual flight rules fuel reserve requirements specified in 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91.151(a)(1).
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 210 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,032 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2011; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWO North Perry FL at 4:15 pm
- Destination: 2IS Clewiston FL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from OBE, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.