Narrative:

On sat, at approximately XA30 pm cessna T210N centurion experienced a power loss and landed in the marshlands short of runway 30 at san carlos airport (sql), ca. The aircraft was returning to sql from truckee, where it had departed approximately 1 hour 10 mins earlier. Prior to departure, both fuel gauges and fuel totalizer indicated that fuel quantity was over half full, more than sufficient for the intended flight plus applicable reserves. During the flight, the pilot monitored fuel consumption in relation to the progress of the flight and determined that flight could be concluded with fuel onboard. While on base leg for sql runway 30, at an altitude of approximately 900 ft, pilot was conducting his pre-landing checklist and determined that approximately 45-60 mins of fuel remained onboard. As mixture was moved to 'full rich,' the engine quit. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but to no avail. The pilot advised sql ATCT of the 'engine out' emergency and was cleared to land. ATCT reported substantial quartering headwinds -- over 20 KTS at times. Due to the substantial winds, the pilot had some doubts as to whether the aircraft would make the airport and elected to make a precautionary landing in a field about 400 yards short of the runways. Just prior to touchdown, the pilot banked the aircraft to the left to fly directly into the wind and because the landing area looked more level to the left. The landing was uneventful until the nosewheel struck a concrete mass that was covered with topsoil. The nosewheel collapsed and the aircraft flipped over. Neither the pilot nor his passenger were injured and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MISCALCULATES HIS FUEL FOR A LONG XCOUNTRY FLT, RESULTING IN DEPLETED TANKS ON BASE TO FINAL AT SQL. FORCED LNDG, SHORT OF THE FIELD, CAUSED ACFT TO FLIP OVER.

Narrative: ON SAT, AT APPROX XA30 PM CESSNA T210N CENTURION EXPERIENCED A PWR LOSS AND LANDED IN THE MARSHLANDS SHORT OF RWY 30 AT SAN CARLOS ARPT (SQL), CA. THE ACFT WAS RETURNING TO SQL FROM TRUCKEE, WHERE IT HAD DEPARTED APPROX 1 HR 10 MINS EARLIER. PRIOR TO DEP, BOTH FUEL GAUGES AND FUEL TOTALIZER INDICATED THAT FUEL QUANTITY WAS OVER HALF FULL, MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR THE INTENDED FLT PLUS APPLICABLE RESERVES. DURING THE FLT, THE PLT MONITORED FUEL CONSUMPTION IN RELATION TO THE PROGRESS OF THE FLT AND DETERMINED THAT FLT COULD BE CONCLUDED WITH FUEL ONBOARD. WHILE ON BASE LEG FOR SQL RWY 30, AT AN ALT OF APPROX 900 FT, PLT WAS CONDUCTING HIS PRE-LNDG CHKLIST AND DETERMINED THAT APPROX 45-60 MINS OF FUEL REMAINED ONBOARD. AS MIXTURE WAS MOVED TO 'FULL RICH,' THE ENG QUIT. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE PLT ADVISED SQL ATCT OF THE 'ENG OUT' EMER AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. ATCT RPTED SUBSTANTIAL QUARTERING HEADWINDS -- OVER 20 KTS AT TIMES. DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL WINDS, THE PLT HAD SOME DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER THE ACFT WOULD MAKE THE ARPT AND ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A FIELD ABOUT 400 YARDS SHORT OF THE RWYS. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE PLT BANKED THE ACFT TO THE L TO FLY DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND AND BECAUSE THE LNDG AREA LOOKED MORE LEVEL TO THE L. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE NOSEWHEEL STRUCK A CONCRETE MASS THAT WAS COVERED WITH TOPSOIL. THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER. NEITHER THE PLT NOR HIS PAX WERE INJURED AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE.

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.