Cessna T210 accident near Sapulpa, Oklahoma, December 13, 2023
On December 13, 2023 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna T210, registered N6789R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. 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 due to the failure of the left magneto and subsequent damage to a lead for the right magneto.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2023 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sapulpa, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 F, built 1966 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N6789R · registry record · serial T210-0189
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a road. During the forced landing, the pilot maneuvered to avoid a vehicle, and the airplane landed hard. The right main landing gear and nose landing gear collided with a concrete curb, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. Examination of the engine revealed that the left magneto had overheated, failed, and separated from the engine, resulting in damage to the right magneto’s p-lead. The damage to the right magneto p-lead likely resulted in the grounding of the right magneto and a subsequent total loss of the engine’s ignition source. Due to extensive damage to the left magneto, further testing could not be accomplished and the reason for its failure could not be determined. The magneto was recently rebuilt and installed on the engine before the flight. It could not be determined if this maintenance introduced debris to the internal magneto components.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,920 hours in all; 2,625 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 11,454 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 11, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,671 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2023; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 579 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KRVS, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRVS 132353Z 08004KT 10SM CLR 09/M03 A3053 RMK AO2 SLP347 T00891033 10167 20089 51005
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 14, 2025. 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 | Logbooks | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.