Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB CEN09FA241
CESSNA T210N — Edinburg, TX
| Date | April 9, 2009 |
| Location | Edinburg, TX |
| Aircraft | CESSNA T210N |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Emergency descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 51 |
| Pilot total time | 512 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 262 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-(general)-Not specified - C
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-(general)-Pilot - F
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-(general)-Decision related to condition - F
What happened
Shortly after departure, the pilot reported engine problems and difficulty maintaining engine rpm and altitude. The pilot initially reported that he would land at a local airport; however, he later stated that he would not make it to that airport. Several areas free of obstacles were located between the point the pilot reported the loss of power and the accident site. The airplane impacted four sets of power lines spread over 1.7 miles. The airplane crashed in an orange grove and was destroyed by postimpact fire. An examination of the airplane and related systems revealed no preexisting anomalies. The engine was examined in the field and an extensive examination and teardown was conducted later in a controlled environment. The examinations did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the engine from producing power as designed.