Cessna T210L accident near Horse Cave, Kentucky, January 5, 1983
On January 5, 1983 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N1741X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Horse Cave, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1983 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Horse Cave, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N1741X · no longer on the register · serial 2073449
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE, AND AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. HE BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ROUGHNESS WAS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THROTTLE MOVEMENT; WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED, THE ROUGHNESS INCREASED. HE BELIEVED THE PROPELLER CONTROL HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ROUGHNESS. HE REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO DROP REGARDLESS OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A MOTOR VEHICLE AND AN EMBANKMENT. AFTER LANDING, THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND IN THE FEATHERED POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER SYSTEM REVEALED THE BLADE ACTUATING PIN ON ONE BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE BLADE BUTT, AT A PRE-EXISTING CRACK. THE PROPELLER HAD BEEN OVERHAULED ON 1/6/78 AT 932.8 HRS. THE RECOMMEND OVERHAUL PERIOD WAS 1200 HRS OR 5 YRS, WHICHEVER WAS FIRST.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 701 hours in all; 253 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 529 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,873 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 4, 1982; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TS10-52OH (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDF Louisville KY at 6:10 pm
- Destination: IM5 Portland TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.