Cessna 210-5(205) accident near Weatherford, Oklahoma, September 25, 2013
On September 25, 2013 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1963 Cessna 210-5(205), registered N8472Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Weatherford, Oklahoma (Thomas P Stafford 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power during descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2013 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Weatherford, Oklahoma · Thomas P Stafford Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5(205), built 1963 · all 210-5(205)s on the register
- Registration
- N8472Z · registry record · serial 205-0472
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during a descent to the planned destination airport. The pilot reported that, before departure, he had fuel added to the preexisting fuel onboard the airplane, which he "confirmed" during the preflight inspection by looking at the fuel gauges. He did not visually inspect the fuel tanks. He entered the amount of added fuel into a fuel totalizer, and the totalizer indicated that the total amount of fuel on board was greater than the amount of fuel needed for the flight. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed about 3 to 4 gallons of fuel in the left fuel tank and less than 1 gallon of fuel in the right fuel tank. Because the pilot did not visually verify the amount of fuel onboard the airplane, the fuel totalizer likely showed an inaccurate amount of fuel and led to the pilot's belief that he had sufficient fuel for 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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,100 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 28, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,397 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F-C-A (piston); 519 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 1:00 pm
- Destination: OJA Weatherford OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from OJA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.