Cessna T210L accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, June 14, 2021
On June 14, 2021 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna T210L, registered N30286, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Buena Vista, Colorado (Leadville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to a vane failure in the engine-driven fuel pump.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2021 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Buena Vista, Colorado · Leadville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L, built 1973 · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N30286 · no longer on the register · serial 21059910
- 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 the airplane was over mountains and near the destination airport when the engine temperature and fuel flow gauges “dropped” and the engine lost partial power. The pilot pushed the throttle in and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump to the “high” position, but those actions had no effect on the engine power. The pilot troubleshot the loss of power; however, there was no change. The pilot then located a flat, treeless area for a forced landing. During the forced landing the landing gear separated and the airplane came to a stop upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, firewall, and left outboard wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s engine-driven fuel pump showed that one of the pump’s two carbon vanes had fractured in half. How the carbon vane fractured was not determined. The severed fuel pump vane likely resulted in fuel cavitation, a drop in pump outlet pressure, a gradual decrease in engine rpm, and subsequent partial 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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,470 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2021
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H6B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBJC Broomfield CO at 12:30 pm
- Destination: KLXV Leadville CO
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.60 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KLVX, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLXV 141253 AUTO 06003 KT 10SM CLR 07/00 A3059 RMK AO2 SLP169 T00720000=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 20, 2023. 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 | Airframe and Engine Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Conversation, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photographs | PDF, 2 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.