| Crash location | 34.066667°N, 115.970000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Mecca, CA
33.571692°N, 116.077224°W 34.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N761SZ |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 11 Dec 2016 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna T210M |
| Additional details: | None |
On December 11, 2016, at an undetermined time, a Cessna T210M, N761SZ, landed off airport in rough terrain near Mecca, California. Aspen Flying Club was operating the rented airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Colorado Springs, Colorado, about 1200 PST (1400 central standard time) with a planned destination of Thermal, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he had to adjust his route of flight due to weather. About 100 miles from the destination airport, he switched fuel tanks, and the engine began to run rough. About 12 miles from the destination, he switched fuel tanks, and the engine lost all power. He could not glide the airplane to the airport, and touched down hard in hilly desert terrain. The pilot was on the ground for an undetermined time trying to find his cell phone to alert first responders of the accident.