At 19:51 PDT, a Cessna 210 collided with an electrical transmission line and an apartment building in Hayward, killing the two passengers and leaving the pilot with serious injuries. The pilot radioed that he was running low on fuel and did not think he would be able to reach the airport. He also reported that he was switching tanks. A witness on a hill about 1 mile east of the crash site reported that she saw the aircraft gliding toward her window. She said that the propeller was turning but that there was no engine sound. The aircraft proceeded westbound, paralleling the south side of transmission lines that run east to west until reaching a point about 3 miles southeast of the airport. As the pilot reached the vicinity of Whitman street, he began a banked turn to the right. During the turn, the right wing tip struck a transmission line 95 feet agl and separated from the aircraft. Investigators found approximately 2.5 gallons of fuel in the left tank and no measurable fuel quantity in the right tank, which was crushed and ruptured. The flaps were retracted but the landing gear was extended.
Apr. 23, Hayward, Calif. / Cessna 210 Centurion
At 19:51 PDT, a Cessna 210 collided with an electrical transmission line and an apartment building in Hayward, killing the two passengers and leaving the pilot with serious injuries. The pilot radioed that he was running low on fuel and did not think he would be able to reach the airport. He also reported that he was switching tanks. A witness on a hill about 1 mile east of the crash site reported that she saw the aircraft gliding toward her window. She said that the propeller was turning but that there was no engine sound. The aircraft proceeded westbound, paralleling the south side of transmission lines that run east to west until reaching a point about 3 miles southeast of the airport. As...
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 210 crashed in Hayward, killing two passengers and seriously injuring the pilot, after its right wing struck a transmission line during a banked turn.
- The pilot had reported low fuel and switching tanks; investigators later found fuel in the left tank but no measurable amount in the damaged right tank.
- A witness observed the aircraft gliding silently with the propeller turning shortly before impact, indicating a loss of engine power.
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