Cessna 210-5A accident near Wenatchee, Washington, May 18, 2013
On May 18, 2013 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 210-5A, registered N4848U, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Wenatchee, Washington (Pangborn Memorial Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and his improper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane’s tail striking the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2013 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wenatchee, Washington · Pangborn Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5A, built 1964 · all 210-5As on the register
- Registration
- N4848U · no longer on the register · serial 205-0548
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on the base leg of the traffic pattern when the engine suddenly lost power. The airplane landed hard in a nose-high attitude, and the tail cone struck the runway, resulting in damage to the aft bulkhead and lower fuselage stringer. When a line service technician came with a tug to help get the airplane off the runway, the pilot told him that he had run out of fuel and that he had planned to continue past the airport but made an error in his fuel calculations. The pilot purchased additional fuel and continued to his destination with no further incident. Although the pilot stated that "vapor lock or a fuel system defect were potential causes" for the loss of engine power, his statements to the line service technician and the fact that the engine started and operated normally after fuel was added indicate that the reason for the loss of engine power was fuel exhaustion.
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 exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,430 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 11, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,968 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLS Chehalis WA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: EAT Wenatchee WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from EAT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.