Cessna 210 accident near Houston, Texas, July 9, 2010
On July 9, 2010 at about 1:06 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N2157S, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Houston, Texas (Ellington Field Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a hydraulic fluid line, which caused a loss of hydraulic pressure to the landing gear extension system and resulted in the partial collapse of the right main landing gear during touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2010 · about 1:06 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Ellington Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 L · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N2157S · registry record · serial 21061118
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During approach, the pilot moved the landing gear position handle to the down position, the hydraulic gear motor started, and the landing gear started to extend. The pilot did not receive a green gear down indicator light, and he visually confirmed that the landing gear did not appear to be fully extended. The pilot completed a number of checklist items including a "G maneuver." All attempts to extend the landing gear did not work, so the pilot prepared for a gear-up landing. During touchdown, the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear remained extended but the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The mechanism for landing gear extension and retraction in the airplane is accomplished by hydraulic actuators powered by an electrically driven hydraulic power pack or by use of an emergency extension hand pump. During the postaccident examination of the hydraulic system, a hydraulic line for the landing gear was found separated from its respective fitting, which would have resulted in a loss of hydraulic pressure. The separated line and adjacent wheel well area were found saturated with hydraulic fluid. The manufacturer’s maintenance manual requires that all rubber hydraulic lines should be replaced each 1000 hours or 5 years. During a review of the airplane’s maintenance records, there were no annotation found that indicated that rubber hydraulic lines has been replaced within the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Hoses and tubes › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › Pressure relief, main › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Other/unknown
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,803 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,736 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 17, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,969 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Transit Solutions LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CVB Castroville TX at 10:00 pm
- Destination: EFD Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17R, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2157S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10LA389.