Cessna T210 accident near New Braunfels, Texas, April 28, 2020
On April 28, 2020 at about 2:58 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna T210, registered N210HH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near New Braunfels, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in the 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 28, 2020 · about 2:58 pm local time
- Place
- New Braunfels, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 L, built 1976 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N210HH · no longer on the register · serial 21061462
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had performed a "standard" preflight check before departing for the 1.5-hour cross-country flight. He reported that he checked the fuel gauges and visually inspected the fuel levels in the tanks and estimated the airplane had about 70 gallons of fuel for the flight. Near the conclusion of the flight, the pilot was given a clearance to climb in preparation for an instrument approach to the destination airport. During the climb, the pilot noticed that the airspeed was bleeding off and the engine was not producing power. After descending below clouds, the pilot decided to land in a field at the end of a lake. However, the pilot realized that the airplane would not reach the field, and he elected to conduct a forced landing on the water, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the fuel tanks revealed some fuel remained, but when the fuel manifold was disassembled, no fuel was observed under its diaphragm. Recovery personnel dried the magnetos and plumbed a fuel can to the airplane for a test run of the engine, which was successful. The airplane’s fuel tanks were topped off about 3.5 flight hours before the accident flight departed; no fuel had been added since that time. With full tanks, the accident airplane’s expected endurance was about 4.8 hours of flight time. Thus, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. Given the available information, it is likely the pilot did not adequately verify the quantity of fuel during the preflight inspection of the airplane or take into account the amount of fuel burned since the airplane was last fueled.
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 exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,256 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 2,256 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 5, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,707.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-R (piston); 2,092 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDD Midland TX at 1:27 pm
- Destination: BAZ New Braunfels TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KBAZ, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
24 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 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.