Cessna P210N accident near Destin, Florida, July 6, 1997
On July 6, 1997 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N222WE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Destin, Florida (Destin/Ft.Walton Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1997 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin/Ft.Walton Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N222WE · registry record · serial 155
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that they were on the initial climbout, between 500 and 800 feet, when the engine developed a partial loss of power. When the engine RPM dropped to 1500, the pilot realized that he could not return to the shore line for an emergency landing. During the examination of the engine, a stainless steel flex fuel line was against the induction elbow on the left side of the engine. There was a hole in the induction elbow at the point where the braided fuel line crossed over the intake manifold. During the functional examination of the induction elbow, the left induction elbow, with the hole, was installed on another IO-520 engine, and the engine was mounted in an engine test cell. A functional run of the engine disclosed that the manifold pressure at full power was the same as the manifold pressure at full power for an induction elbow without a hole.
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 engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 8,200 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,690 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 30, 1997; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DST at 1:00 pm
- Destination: BCT Boca Rotan FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from VPS
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.