Cessna T210M accident near Brownsville, Texas, October 26, 2014
On October 26, 2014 at about 5:21 pm local time, a Cessna T210M, registered XBNCZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville Int'L Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2014 · about 5:21 pm local time
- Place
- Brownsville, Texas · Brownsville Int'L Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- XBNCZ · no longer on the register · serial 62185
- 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 did not visually check the fuel quantity in the fuel tanks before takeoff. While the airplane was on final approach to land, the engine stopped producing power. The airplane impacted trees and terrain about 1/2 mile north of the airport. A postaccident examination revealed that the fuel tanks were intact, and no evidence of fuel leakage was found at the accident site. The right fuel tank contained about 1/8 of a tank of fuel, and the fuel selector was in the right tank position. The left fuel tank was empty.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 502 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: Monterrey
- Destination: BRO Brownsville TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BRO
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.