Air In The Tanks

Ive owned Cessna T210s since 1977; first a 1969 J model and then a 1979 N model with a TSIO-520-R engine. In the 1980s, there were a number of fuel exhaustion accidents in 210s, all of them attributable to not getting a full fill and resulting in being shorted an hours supply when fueling stops after fuel backs up out of the filler port. The outboard sections of the fuel tanks are slightly higher than the bottom of the filler port. To get the last one-plus gallons in the tanks requires the slowest of fueling until reaching the real full point.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots of Cessna 210s (and similar aircraft) must be aware of unique tank designs that can lead to unknowingly being shorted several gallons during fueling, requiring careful calibration and verification of actual fuel levels.
In-flight activation of 406 MHz ELTs during an emergency can proactively send a distress signal and location data before a potential crash, supplementing ADS-B Out for search and rescue.
To mitigate engine failure risks, always request full-length runway takeoffs, avoid intersection departures, and pre-plan emergency landing sites by familiarizing oneself with terrain beyond the runway.

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Just read October’s Learning Experience entry, “Air In The Tanks.” This account has two lessons that weren’t expanded upon.

I’ve owned Cessna T210s since 1977; first a 1969 J model and then a 1979 N model with a TSIO-520-R engine. In the 1980s, there were a number of fuel exhaustion accidents in 210s, all of them attributable to not getting a full fill and resulting in being shorted an hour’s supply when fueling stops after fuel backs up out of the filler port. The outboard sections of the fuel tanks are slightly higher than the bottom of the filler port. To get the last one-plus gallons in the tanks requires the slowest of fueling until reaching the real full point.