Cessna T210M accident near Pueblo, Colorado, May 21, 2011
On May 21, 2011 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Cessna T210M, registered N6850B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pueblo, Colorado (Pueblo airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the landing gear to fully extend due to a failed o-ring in the nose gear actuator piston and a broken seal in the emergency landing gear extension system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2011 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · Pueblo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N6850B · registry record · serial 21062845
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot heard an unusual sound as he retracted the landing gear after takeoff and the amber gear warning light was illuminated. The pilot referenced the emergency procedures and made two unsuccessful attempts to manually extend the gear. After engaging the autopilot, the pilot then checked the hydraulic reservoir in the cockpit and it was empty. At the advice of an air traffic controller, the pilot added a quart of engine oil in the hydraulic reservoir and attempted another manual gear extension. The pilot was still unable to extend the gear. The pilot made a low pass by the control tower and a controller informed him that no landing gear were visible. The pilot then made a gear-up landing as directed by the Pilot Operating Handbook; however, according to airport personnel, the pilot landed with the nose gear down and the main landing gear retracted. The airplane skidded on its belly and the left horizontal stabilizer was damaged. According to a representative of the repair facility that fixed the airplane, an o-ring in the nose gear actuator piston had failed. In addition, a seal in the emergency extension system had also failed. Once the failed o-ring and seal were replaced, the landing gear functioned normally.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,101 hours in all; 781 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PUB Pueblo CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 26R, 10,498 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 4:57 pm from PUB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 CEN11LA357.