Private pilot of a C210 made an off airport forced landing after the engine quit during cruise over ...

Attributes
ACN	407575
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fra airport : o42
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fat
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 820 flight time type : 325
ASRS Report	407575
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Cruising at 10500 ft. Was starting a climb to 12500 ft. New engine with 25 hours froze up. No prior indication of a problem. Notified fresno on emergency channel. Used 7700 on transponder. Selected a site to land. Landed in a meadow with gear up. No injuries to myself or 1 passenger. Damage to aircraft was not extensive. Elevation of landing site 5300 ft MSL. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had departed his home base of woodlake airport and was just leaving cruise flight to climb higher when the engine froze up and quit completely. He believed that he was lucky when turning back away from the high rising mountains to see an acceptable landing spot in a meadow below. He further stated that preliminary investigation of the engine, under the observation of the FAA, disclosed that all the oil had drained out of the engine apparently caused by the nosewheel pushing open the oil quick drain plug when it was retracted into the nose gear well. This seemed rather impossible since the aircraft had been operated prior to the recent engine replacement for many hours with the quick drain plug installed. However, the new plug may have been longer than the old?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C210 MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG AFTER THE ENG QUIT DURING CRUISE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE ACFT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Narrative: CRUISING AT 10500 FT. WAS STARTING A CLB TO 12500 FT. NEW ENG WITH 25 HRS FROZE UP. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF A PROB. NOTIFIED FRESNO ON EMER CHANNEL. USED 7700 ON XPONDER. SELECTED A SITE TO LAND. LANDED IN A MEADOW WITH GEAR UP. NO INJURIES TO MYSELF OR 1 PAX. DAMAGE TO ACFT WAS NOT EXTENSIVE. ELEVATION OF LNDG SITE 5300 FT MSL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED HIS HOME BASE OF WOODLAKE ARPT AND WAS JUST LEAVING CRUISE FLT TO CLB HIGHER WHEN THE ENG FROZE UP AND QUIT COMPLETELY. HE BELIEVED THAT HE WAS LUCKY WHEN TURNING BACK AWAY FROM THE HIGH RISING MOUNTAINS TO SEE AN ACCEPTABLE LNDG SPOT IN A MEADOW BELOW. HE FURTHER STATED THAT PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE ENG, UNDER THE OBSERVATION OF THE FAA, DISCLOSED THAT ALL THE OIL HAD DRAINED OUT OF THE ENG APPARENTLY CAUSED BY THE NOSEWHEEL PUSHING OPEN THE OIL QUICK DRAIN PLUG WHEN IT WAS RETRACTED INTO THE NOSE GEAR WELL. THIS SEEMED RATHER IMPOSSIBLE SINCE THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATED PRIOR TO THE RECENT ENG REPLACEMENT FOR MANY HRS WITH THE QUICK DRAIN PLUG INSTALLED. HOWEVER, THE NEW PLUG MAY HAVE BEEN LONGER THAN THE OLD?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Private pilot of a C210 made an off airport forced landing after the engine quit during cruise over mountainous terrain. The aircraft received only minor damage. There were no injuries.