Cessna 210A accident near Searcy, Arkansas, April 18, 2014
On April 18, 2014 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 210A, registered N9421X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Searcy, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane, which resulted in oil starvation and a subsequent engine failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2014 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Searcy, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210A, built 1961 · all 210As on the register
- Registration
- N9421X · no longer on the register · serial 21057721
- 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, shortly after departure, he and the pilot-rated passenger detected smoke in the cockpit. The pilot turned off the avionics and began flying toward the closest airport. While en route to the airport, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and then seized. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the engine's crankcase. Examination of the engine revealed signatures consistent with oil starvation of the engine components, which resulted in the failure of the No. 5 connecting rod. Only residual oil was found at the accident site and within the engine, and only a small amount of oil sheen was discovered on the airplane surfaces. An annual inspection had recently been completed on the airplane, and a review of the engine logbook revealed no entries related to the engine's oil system. Although the pilots reported no anomalies during the preflight inspection, the evidence is consistent with a lack of engine oil before the flight, which could have been discovered during a thorough preflight inspection.
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 servicing event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Last flight review: May 7, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,977.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 17, 2014; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-470-DR (piston); 3,945 hours total
- Operator: Arkansas Pilots For Christ INC
The flight
- Departed from: 4AR2 Cabot AR at 7:30 pm
- Destination: KSRC Searcy AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KSRC, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.