Cessna T210 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 18, 2018
On August 18, 2018 at about 2:46 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna T210, registered N6958N, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones Jr 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 pilot's decision to take off with a known electrical problem, which resulted in the loss of electrical power, problem with the landing gear extension system, and subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2018 · about 2:46 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 N, built 1979 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N6958N · no longer on the register · serial 21063168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been sitting on a ramp for 3-4 months before the accident flight. The pilot initially could not start the engine due to a discharged battery but then departed on a cross-country flight after a ground unit was used to start the airplane. After takeoff, the pilot noticed that the radios became silent. He started to troubleshoot the loss of radio communications with no success. He set up to return to the airport and land on the runway. The pilot tried to deploy the flaps and landing gear, but there was no indication that either extended. He stated that he checked to see if the landing gear extended by using the wing-mounted mirrors. The pilot continued the approach. During the landing rollout, the pilot applied right rudder and brakes, but the airplane rolled off the runway into the grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a collapsed left main landing gear. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the landing gear, and the battery was discharged. It is likely that the discharged battery affected the landing gear extension system. However, it could not be determined if the landing gear collapsed during the accident sequence or if it was not completely extended before landing.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during initial climb defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Inoperative
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,767 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 31, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 2:30 pm
- Destination: MFE Mcallen TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1L, 5,102 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.31 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from TUL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 3, 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum for the Record Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record FAA Inspector Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | 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.