Cessna 210 accident near Houma, Louisiana, August 31, 2010
On August 31, 2010 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N210PR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Houma, Louisiana (Houma-Terrebonne Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2010 · about 1:00 am local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Houma, Louisiana · Houma-Terrebonne Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N210PR · registry record · serial 64883
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the first leg of a cross-country flight, the pilot refueled the airplane with about 55 gallons. The flight then proceeded to the destination airport and experienced a total loss of power about 3 hours later. The pilot elected to conduct a forced landing to a cane field, during which the airplane impacted the ground hard and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The pilot reported that the airplane normally burned about 17 gallons an hour and that he expected to land at the destination airport with about 32 gallons remaining. A visual inspection of the airplane and accident site did not identify any signs of a fuel spill. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s fuel tanks and system revealed only trace amounts of fuel. Additionally, the examination of the engine and airframe revealed no apparent leaks or abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 117 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Black Star Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SJT San Angelo TX
- Destination: HUM Houma LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 19, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N210PR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 210 Centurion 1,526 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER 4,110 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Houma-Terrebonne Airport · nearest airport
- San Angelo Rgnl/Mathis Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Louisiana 1,274 since 1982 · 189 in the last ten years
- Louisiana 3,729 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10LA512.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.