Cessna 210F accident near Anoka, Minnesota, June 3, 2017
On June 3, 2017, a 1966 Cessna 210F, registered N1854F, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Anoka, Minnesota (Anoka County 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 failure of the landing gear to fully extend due to insufficient hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system as a result of inadequate maintenance by the airplane owner.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2017
- Place
- Anoka, Minnesota · Anoka County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210F, built 1966 · all 210Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1854F · registry record · serial 21058754
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, reported that the airplane's landing gear did not fully retract when he raised the gear handle after takeoff. He attempted to lower the landing gear using emergency procedures without success. He subsequently conducted a full-flap landing, and as the airplane settled onto the runway, the main landing gear retracted into the landing gear bay. The airplane veered off the runway and the right horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged as the airplane skidded to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed that there was insufficient hydraulic fluid in the system to manually pump the landing gear into the fully-extended position. The pilot reported that the airplane's hydraulic system had been over-pressurized by a mechanic a few years before the accident and that there had been trouble with hydraulic leaks ever since. He reported that he added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir every 12 flight hours; however, there were no aircraft maintenance logbook entries concerning the work performed. He also reported that, a few days before the accident, he had filled the hydraulic reservoir and then flew the airplane for between 45 and 60 minutes. He did not recheck the hydraulic fluid level after that 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
- Landing gear not configured during initial climb defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Owner/builder
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,736 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-540-A (piston); 6,737 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Blaine MN
- Destination: PKD Park Rapids MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,855 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 26, 2018. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversations | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Hydraulic Servicing Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Manual Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
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.