Cessna T210L accident near Abilene, Texas, December 29, 2010
On December 29, 2010 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N210BH, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Abilene, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2010 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Abilene, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N210BH · registry record · serial 21060954
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a 615-nautical mile cross-country flight that reportedly would take him about four hours and fifteen minutes to complete. He reported that he had about five and one-half hours of fuel on-board, and that he received a weather briefing before departing. The briefing indicated that he would encounter marginal visual flight conditions en route to his destination. During the flight, stronger than expected wind conditions were adding about 10 minutes to his flight, and about 50 miles from his destination, he started his descent from 9,500 feet with a solid cloud layer below him. He contacted the air traffic controller and received an instrument rules flight plan for an approach to his destination. He said that as he broke out from the clouds, it was too late to make a landing at the airport, and the engine lost power. He switched fuel tanks and the engine re-started. He said that the controller asked him if he had enough fuel to a make an alternate airport, located about 44 miles away, to which he responded that the right fuel tank showed one-third full. About 3 miles from the alternate airport the engine lost power again, this time the pilot could not get it restarted. He then elected to conduct a forced landing on a road. During the forced landing the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer impacted a signpost, causing substantial damage to the airplane.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Fuel exhaustion during approach
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 954 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 756 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2010
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTUS Tucson Intnl AZ
- Destination: KETN Eastland TX
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 7:05 pm from KABI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.