Cessna 210 accident near Grand Haven, Michigan, March 2, 2021
On March 2, 2021 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 210, registered N6637X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Grand Haven, Michigan (Muskegon 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 total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2021 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Haven, Michigan · Muskegon County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 A, built 1961 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N6637X · no longer on the register · serial 21057637
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff the engine stopped producing power. He performed a forced landing to a field and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was recovered from the accident site, but the wreckage was sold without permission from the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge. Therefore, a detailed engine examination could not be accomplished 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 (total) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 554 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 489 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 26, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,881.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 2020; 7.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L1B (piston); 1,528 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3GM Grand Haven MI at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 18 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KMKG, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMKG 022055Z 21018G29KT 10SM FEW022 02/M06 A3009 RMK AO2 PK WND 20035/2011 SLP199 T00221061 56034
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on December 29, 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 |
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.