Cessna T210N accident near Florence, South Carolina, January 14, 1989
On January 14, 1989 at about 10:48 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N5289Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Florence, South Carolina (Florence City airport). It was a business 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 FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY TORQUE THE THRU BOLTS DURING NUMBER 2 CYLINDER INSTALLATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TERRAIN FEATURES WHICH LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR DURING LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1989 · about 10:48 pm local time
- Place
- Florence, South Carolina · Florence City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5289Y · registry record · serial T210N64153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 5000 FT AFTER TKOF. THE KNOCKING WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE AND ENGINE VIBRATION. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE APPARENTLY HAD LOST A CYLINDER AND OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS. AFTER DESCENDING THROUGH CLOUDS, THE PLT REPORTED THAT SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE COWLING. THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LDG IN A SMALL FIELD. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSEGEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT NOSED OVER. EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED TWO BROKEN CONNECTING RODS AND THAT TWO CRANKCASE THROUGHBOLTS WERE UNDERTORQUED. THE CRANKSHAFT MN BRG HAD ROTATED, BLOCKING THE OIL PASSAGE TO THE OTHER CRANKSHAFT BRGS. OVERHEATING OF THE CONNECTING ROD JOURNALS AND BRGS WAS EVIDENT. THE NO 2 CYLINDER HAD BEEN REPLACED JAN 2, 1989, 28 HRS BEFORE THE ACDT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,927 hours in all; 710 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,295 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TI0-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ron Jon, INC
The flight
- Departed from: FLO Florence SC at 11:00 pm
- Destination: GNV Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 6,498 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from FLO
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.
Other NTSB records under N5289Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.