210 Down - No Fatalities

Local news reporting this morning the pilot lost the engine when switching to the "back-up" fuel tank. I don't know fuel system on the 210s. It appears to be a T210L. @JCranford , do you typically do any tank switching before landing?
 
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OkieFlyer said:
Local news reporting this morning the pilot lost the engine when switching to the "back-up" fuel tank. I don't know fuel system on the 210s. It appears to be a T210L. @JCranford , do you typically do and tank switching before landing?
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Yes, there is no "Both" tank settings on this model of 210. It is either left or right tank. Should have been about an hour and 20 minute flight though and easily accomplished on one tank even if half full at departure. But switching to the full tank is typical.
 
Briar Rabbit said:
Yes, there is no "Both" tank settings on this model of 210. It is either left or right tank. Should have been about an hour and 20 minute flight though and easily accomplished on one tank even if half full at departure. But switching to the full tank is typical.
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Can't imagine wanting to switch tanks so close to destination airport unless he was truly on fumes and was trying to get to a tank that may have had a gallon or two in it to make the airport. Since he was landing at ADA for fuel, I'd assume he just ran 'er dry.
 
I never switch right before landing or takeoff. Set up up on preflight, then again 15+ minutes before landing(wherever in between), leave it alone in the pattern. If some checklist calls for it, note/confirm the position, press on.
 
sourdough44 said:
I never switch right before landing or takeoff. Set up up on preflight, then again 15+ minutes before landing(wherever in between), leave it alone in the pattern. If some checklist calls for it, note/confirm the position, press on.
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Yeah, I'd agree with that; switch tanks when leaving cruising altitude, but no sooner. I hope this wasn't a totally-out-of-gas situation.
 
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Switching tanks below in the pattern never made any sense to me—which is why GUMPS never made any sense. I’m not going to touch the gas; I sometimes care about undercarriage; I don’t need reminded to mess with the mixture; and prop If I have to go around I shove everything forward anyway. If I have to clean up the cockpit in the pattern I’m way behind the airplane and creating distractions at low altitude with other planes around means I should go away and try again when I have my act together.

In the pattern I care about Boost pump (sometimes), reporting, altitude, airspeed, gear down, and scanning for other traffic. That’s it. BRAAGS
 
OkieFlyer said:
Local news reporting this morning the pilot lost the engine when switching to the "back-up" fuel tank. I don't know fuel system on the 210s. It appears to be a T210L. @JCranford , do you typically do and tank switching before landing?
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I switch to the fullest tank well before landing. If im already in the pattern, unless I know im critical low, I dont switch tanks. And I dont fly 'critical low' anyway.
 
Item #18 of our club flight standard says:

Switching fuel tanks as part of the prelanding check should be done only if the tank in use is nearly empty. (Switching for the sake of switching to the fullest tank has led to accidents. Adequate fuel is the only issue.)
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This is why.
 
95% of my flights are less than an hour away. I see no real reason to switch tanks in the air in that instance.
 
If I am switching tanks before landing, it happens during the cruise portion of the inbound flight. And I always take off on the tank(s) I have done my start, warm-up, taxi and run-up on. No exceptions.
 
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