Cessna P210N accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, January 8, 2014
On January 8, 2014 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna P210N, registered N4817K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Pagosa Springs, Colorado (Pagosa Springs airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people 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 inadequate preflight inspection which led to a loss of oil pressure and partial loss of engine power on takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to check the security of the oil filler cap prior to the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2014 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado · Pagosa Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N N, built 1979 · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4817K · no longer on the register · serial P21000333
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and his two passengers departed on a local pleasure flight. Right after takeoff, engine oil covered the windscreen and the engine began to lose power. According to a video of the accident, the pilot made a tear-drop turn in an attempt to land on the opposite runway. The airplane lost altitude during the turn and the pilot overshot the runway. The pilot said that as he crossed over the runway, he reduced power to idle. As the pilot attempted to turn back toward the runway, he turned off the master switch. The airplane descended quickly and landed adjacent to the runway in packed snow. The airplane landed hard on the main landing gear and with the right wing low before it slid for about 300 feet resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The landing gear, right flap, left wing tip, and all three propeller blades were also damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed the oil filler cap was not secured to the oil filler neck. The pilot said this was the first flight after the oil had been changed by a maintenance facility. He did not check the oil filler cap before the flight because it was not required per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved preflight inspection checklist.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Oil storage (airframe furnish) › Inadequate inspection
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,365 hours in all; 2,595 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,898 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Performance Associates INC
The flight
- Departed from: PSO Pagosa Springs CO at 9:30 pm
- Destination: PSO Pagosa Springs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 8,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3006°F (1652°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:30 pm from PSO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4817K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.