Cessna 210 accident near Naples, Florida, March 30, 2002
On March 30, 2002 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N1844F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Total loss of engine power due to improper maintenance by company maintenance personnel which allowed the mixture control linkage to disconnect in flight which resulted in an emergency descent to landing into unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2002 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N1844F · no longer on the register · serial 21058744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after departing Naples Airport, he was given clearance to climb to his requested altitude. The pilot reported that, at 800 feet the engine started to lose manifold pressure. Efforts by the pilot to restore manifold pressure were unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and headed back to the Naples airport. When he saw that he would not make the airport; he elected to make an emergency landing in a mangrove swamp 1/4 mile from the airport. The airplane collided with several trees, and came to rest in about three inches of water. Following the airplane's recovery from the swamp, an examination of the cabin found the throttle and mixture controls in their takeoff positions. Examination of the engine compartment found the mixture cable attachment and the fuel control disconnected. The fuel control arm was not deformed from impact. The mixture cable attachment rod-end was not deformed from impact, and the mixture attachment bolt, nut and washer were missing. At the time of this examination, the mixture arm on the fuel control was in the closed or cutoff position. Examination of the airplane's log books found that the fuel control bracket was replaced during a maintenance visit on December 6, 2001. The airframe had accumulated 27.8 hours since that maintenance had been performed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 4,772 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2001; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A29B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples at 8:05 pm
- Destination: TPF Tampa FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:26 pm from APF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.