Cessna T210L accident near Yuba City, California, January 15, 2005
On January 15, 2005 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N5177V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yuba City, California (Sutter County 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 preparation and failure to verify the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2005 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Yuba City, California · Sutter County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- 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
- N5177V · no longer on the register · serial 21060852
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a 20-minute flight, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot forced landed the airplane in a river. Prior to departure, the pilot noted that the left fuel tank gauge indicated less than 1/4 tank and the right fuel tank gauge indicated 1/4 tank of fuel. The pilot did not visually verify the fuel quantity in the tanks and departed using the right tank. The pilot climbed the airplane to 5,500 feet mean seal level and set the manifold pressure and rpm at 25 inches and 2,500 rpm, respectively. He then leaned the mixture to 30 degrees, lean of peak. During cruise flight, the pilot felt a drop in power and noticed a fluctuating fuel flow indication and almost 1/4 tank of fuel indicated on the right gauge. He switched to the left fuel tank, power was restored, and the fuel flow stabilized. While approaching to land at the nearest airport, the pilot extended the gear and set the flaps to the approach setting. Then, the engine began to lose power again and the fuel flow was fluctuating. He applied a full rich mixture, full forward on the throttle and the propeller. He also switched the fuel selector to the right tank and pitched the airplane's attitude for best glide speed. Because the airplane was about 1,500 feet above ground level and nearing the approach end of the runway, the pilot elected to perform a 360-degree turn in order to dissipate the airplane's altitude. As the airplane came through 270 degrees, he noted that the airplane was too low to land on the runway. After assessing his other landing options, the pilot elected to land the airplane in the river. He raised the gear and slowed the airplane to 80 miles per hour. Upon landing, the pilot egressed the airplane and swam to shore. The pilot felt that he should not have departed without refueling the airplane. The airplane had accumulated about 5 1/2 hours since its last refueling. The pilot said that he was planning on obtaining fuel from another airport in his city; however, a family member called requesting a ride from a nearby airport and he decided to refuel there instead. Performance calculations indicated that the usable fuel level would have been nearly depleted based on the flight profiles and times since the last refueling of the airplane.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 2004; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R98 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIC Chico CA
- Destination: O52 Yuba City CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.