Cessna T210L accident near Lodi, California, November 4, 1998
On November 4, 1998 at about 11:58 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N29058, was destroyed in an accident near Lodi, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to a leaking engine driven fuel pump nose seal, which increased the engine fuel consumption rate above the published performance chart values.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 1998 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Lodi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N29058 · no longer on the register · serial 21059792
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After passing an airport, and still about 30 minutes from his destination, the pilot told a passenger that they were getting low on fuel and would turn around to land and refuel. Shortly thereafter, the pilot announced that they were running out of gas and that they needed a road to land on. At this time, the engine quit and the pilot switch to the other fuel tank in an attempt to restart the engine with no success. The airplane collided with trees and crashed in a dry riverbed. Examination of the engine disclosed no evidence of an internal failure. A leak was found in the nose seal of the engine driven fuel pump, which allowed fuel to leak out through the unit's overboard vent drain. The leak was quantified at 3 to 4 gallons per hour at cruise power settings. Disassembly of the unit revealed an area of rust etching on the driveshaft. The airplane carried a total of 89 usable gallons of fuel and had an approximate 13.83-gallon per hour fuel consumption rate at 65 percent power. The airplane was airborne for 4.9 hours, and would have used about 67.7 gallons of fuel. A 4-gallon per hour leak rate through the fuel pump nose seal would have leaked 19.6 gallons, for a total fuel usage of 87.3 gallons.
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
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 1998; 264 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BZN Bozeman MT at 7:10 pm
- Destination: SQL San Carlos CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from SCK, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.