Cessna 210F accident near Phillipsburg, Kansas, October 10, 2011
On October 10, 2011 at about 1:05 am local time, a Cessna 210F, registered N615BT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Phillipsburg, Kansas (Phillipsburg Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2011 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Phillipsburg, Kansas · Phillipsburg Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210F · all 210Fs on the register
- Registration
- N615BT · registry record · serial 21058788
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he made a normal landing on the main tires, but when the nosewheel touched down it began to shimmy violently. In response, he pulled back on the control yoke, and the airplane became momentarily airborne, bounced several times, and porpoised down the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nosewheel tire was crushed and partially attached to the rim; the firewall was wrinkled, the nose landing gear doors were damaged, the nose gear strut was slightly bent, and all three propeller blades were bent aft at the tips. Examination of the runway indicated that there were two propeller strike marks on the runway followed by impact scars from the nosewheel. Just past the nosewheel impact marks, there were four additional propeller strike marks. The pilot stated that he did not observe any abnormality with the nosewheel tire before the flight.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 80 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,098 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHN St. Clair MI
- Destination: PHG Phillipsburg KS
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 13
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.