Cessna 210 accident near Cedaredge, Colorado, October 4, 2020
On October 4, 2020 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 210, registered N9568X, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Cedaredge, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2020 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Cedaredge, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 B, built 1962 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9568X · no longer on the register · serial 21057868
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was en route about 1,000 ft over mountainous terrain when the engine experienced a gradual loss of power. The pilot’s efforts to troubleshoot the engine issue were unsuccessful. The airplane could not maintain altitude and the pilot performed a forced landing to a clearing next to a highway. During the landing flare, the pilot pitched up to avoid an oncoming vehicle and the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. A postaccident fire consumed a majority of the airplane. Examination of the wreckage was limited due to the postimpact fire. However, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies identified with the available wreckage that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,850 as pilot in command; 2,927 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,134 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 25, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-470-S-1 (piston); 3,095 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Soaring 210 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AJZ Delta CO
- Destination: CPR Caper WY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KAJZ, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAJZ 041755Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 20/M06 A3030 RMK AO2 T02041060 10204 20049
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Co-owner) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Correspondence - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Correspondence - Sheriff's Office | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Examination Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Cessna 210B Owner's Manual Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | 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.