Cessna 210 accident near Minden, Louisiana, April 15, 2017
On April 15, 2017 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 210, registered N7358E, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Minden, Louisiana (Minden 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
The pilot's inadequate fuel planning and in-flight fuel monitoring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2017 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Minden, Louisiana · Minden Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 UNDESIGNAT, built 1960 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N7358E · no longer on the register · serial 57058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were on a cross-country personal flight in a single-engine airplane. As the airplane approached the destination airport, the engine lost power. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pump and switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not restored. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted a tree and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. During the recovery of the airplane, about 5 gallons of fuel were drained from each wing fuel tank. An engine test run was conducted by connecting a fuel line to the airplane's right-side fuel line. The fuel boost pump was operated, and the engine started and ran with no anomalies. A review of the airplane type certificate data sheet indicated that the airplane was equipped with two wing fuel tanks for a total capacity of 65 gallons, with useable fuel of 55 gallons. Given the available information, it is likely the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
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: 345 hours in all; 68 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,945.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 23, 2016
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KNEW New Orleans LA
- Destination: KOJA Weatherford OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,004 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KMNE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.