Cessna 210 accident near Walsh, Colorado, October 27, 2009
On October 27, 2009 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N7464E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Walsh, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to failure of the No. 2 cylinder as a result of the failure of the repair facility to properly torque the lower four nuts on the cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2009 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Walsh, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N7464E · no longer on the register · serial 57164
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in level cruise flight at 6,500 feet mean sea level when the pilot "detected a slight smoke smell." Oil pressure and oil temperature readings were normal, but he noticed the EGT (exhaust gas temperature) on one of the cylinders had dropped, followed shortly thereafter by the EGT decay of another cylinder. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in an open field. Recent rains had softened the ground and when the nosewheel touched down, the airplane nosed over. An FAA airworthiness inspector who examined the engine said that the cylinder hold-down studs on the lower side of the number 2 cylinder had threads, but one stud had snapped off. Further examination of the engine revealed that the lower four nuts on the number two cylinder were not properly torqued, which allowed the lower side of the cylinder to move while the upper part remained fixed. A crack developed on the right side of the cylinder and propagated along the bottom lip to the left side of the cylinder, eventually reaching the point of failure. When the annual and 100-hour inspections were done on August 21, 2009, all 6 cylinders had been removed “due to low compression” and replaced with overhauled cylinders, new pistons and rings, and new gaskets and seals. Airframe total time was 3,797.79 hours, and the time since major engine overhaul was 1,239.82 hours. The tachometer read 2960.72. At the accident site, the tachometer read 3059.41 hours.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,798 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ULS Ulysses KS at 6:00 pm
- Destination: FMN Farmington NM
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.35 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LAA, 63 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.