Narrative:

While approaching las vegas/mccarran international airport from about 35 NM and descending through 9000 ft MSL, I experienced engine failure. I notified ATC and asked for a vector to the nearest airport. ATC suggested boulder city airport, about 15 NM away, but by that time, I had used the nearest-airport feature of my GPS to locate echo bay airport 8.8 NM away. I turned toward echo bay and some mins later brought the aircraft to a normal landing on runway 24. The cause of this event was fuel starvation resulting from my failure to switch tanks in a timely manner. I did not recognize this cause while in the air, because the plane appeared to have partial power. I later realized that I have had little experience with a wind-milling propeller. It appeared to be turning at low power, and it seemed to show some sensitivity to changes in engine control position. After doing some tests on the ground, I determined the problem, switched tanks, restarted, and proceeded uneventfully to mccarran airport. I have flown the aircraft for about 800 hours, including many long legs. I have never failed to follow my standard tank-switching procedure (30 mins on left for takeoff and climb, switch to right, and switch every hour afterwards). I always note the times for switching in a fuel log on my kneeboard. In this case, I omitted a standard procedure for no obvious reason. A second issue is my failure to diagnose the problem once it occurred. 'Boost pump on, switch tanks' is a standard procedure for engine failure, and I do it well every year at a flight school. My failure to do it in this case may have been due to several factors. One is the impression of partial power. Second, my engine is not too far from tbo, so I was willing to believe mechanical failure had occurred. Third, I determined I was within gliding range of an airport and became highly focused on that solution to the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT MAKES AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG DUE TO ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING LAS VEGAS/MCCARRAN INTL ARPT FROM ABOUT 35 NM AND DSNDING THROUGH 9000 FT MSL, I EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE. I NOTIFIED ATC AND ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE NEAREST ARPT. ATC SUGGESTED BOULDER CITY ARPT, ABOUT 15 NM AWAY, BUT BY THAT TIME, I HAD USED THE NEAREST-ARPT FEATURE OF MY GPS TO LOCATE ECHO BAY ARPT 8.8 NM AWAY. I TURNED TOWARD ECHO BAY AND SOME MINS LATER BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 24. THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT WAS FUEL STARVATION RESULTING FROM MY FAILURE TO SWITCH TANKS IN A TIMELY MANNER. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS CAUSE WHILE IN THE AIR, BECAUSE THE PLANE APPEARED TO HAVE PARTIAL PWR. I LATER REALIZED THAT I HAVE HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH A WIND-MILLING PROP. IT APPEARED TO BE TURNING AT LOW PWR, AND IT SEEMED TO SHOW SOME SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN ENG CTL POS. AFTER DOING SOME TESTS ON THE GND, I DETERMINED THE PROB, SWITCHED TANKS, RESTARTED, AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO MCCARRAN ARPT. I HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT FOR ABOUT 800 HRS, INCLUDING MANY LONG LEGS. I HAVE NEVER FAILED TO FOLLOW MY STANDARD TANK-SWITCHING PROC (30 MINS ON L FOR TKOF AND CLB, SWITCH TO R, AND SWITCH EVERY HR AFTERWARDS). I ALWAYS NOTE THE TIMES FOR SWITCHING IN A FUEL LOG ON MY KNEEBOARD. IN THIS CASE, I OMITTED A STANDARD PROC FOR NO OBVIOUS REASON. A SECOND ISSUE IS MY FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB ONCE IT OCCURRED. 'BOOST PUMP ON, SWITCH TANKS' IS A STANDARD PROC FOR ENG FAILURE, AND I DO IT WELL EVERY YEAR AT A FLT SCHOOL. MY FAILURE TO DO IT IN THIS CASE MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS. ONE IS THE IMPRESSION OF PARTIAL PWR. SECOND, MY ENG IS NOT TOO FAR FROM TBO, SO I WAS WILLING TO BELIEVE MECHANICAL FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. THIRD, I DETERMINED I WAS WITHIN GLIDING RANGE OF AN ARPT AND BECAME HIGHLY FOCUSED ON THAT SOLUTION TO THE PROB.

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.