Cessna T210 accident near Ada, Oklahoma, January 1, 2020
On January 1, 2020 at about 9:46 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna T210, registered N94227, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ada, Oklahoma (Ada Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and preflight fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2020 · about 9:46 pm local time
- Place
- Ada, Oklahoma · Ada Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 L, built 1974 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N94227 · registry record · serial 21060549
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and one passenger were conducting a cross-country flight in the single engine airplane. The pilot thought that the fuel tanks had been topped off on a level surface before departure, but he did not observe the fueling and did not confirm the actual fuel quantity before departure. About 3.5 hours after departure, after having switched from the left fuel tank to the right, the pilot reported that the engine experienced a loss of power and told air traffic control (ATC) that he had a fuel issue and needed to land immediately. The pilot was able to restart the engine briefly but again experienced a loss of engine power. He made a forced landing to a field then continued into a fence and impacted several trees and the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, empennage, and engine mounts. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were breached at the leading edges. The fuel tank caps were secured in place and there was no sign of blue fuel staining on the wings. The examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident fuel calculation based on fuel receipts for the round-trip cross-country flight revealed that the airplane would have contained about 69 gallons of fuel before departure. Based on the fuel calculation, there should have been about 26 gallons of fuel remaining in the fuel tanks during the loss of engine power. The pilot stated that he did not complete a preflight fuel burn calculation or check the amount of fuel on the fuel receipt after fueling. It is likely that the pilot did not switch to the right fuel tank when he reported doing so or did not allow enough time for the fuel to reach the engine before attempting an engine restart. Based on postaccident fuel calculations and the lack of evidence of a fuel tank leak, the pilot did not adequately manage the available fuel during the flight, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power.
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 inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,915 hours in all; 8.3 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,582 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 19, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,997 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 2019; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO-520-R (piston); 2,809 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 7:06 pm
- Destination: SHV Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KADH, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN20LA053.