Cessna 210 accident near South Lyon, Michigan, December 25, 1999
On December 25, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N7493E, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Lyon, Michigan. 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 failure of the throttle and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot in the taxi area. Factors were the collapsed nose gear and the rough terrain,
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- South Lyon, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N7493E · no longer on the register · serial 57193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when the nose gear collapsed while taxiing after a forced landing was performed. The pilot stated that '... he had taken off from private runway at a neighbor's house near [his] home. [The pilot] said while flying he experienced mechanical problems related to the throttle, which caused him to land in the field. [The pilot] said he landed without incident but while taxing the front wheel collapsed in the rough terrain.' The pilot's written statement stated, 'I ... was trying to taxi on 36 - 18 on a private grass strip. I was working on trying to get the engine to clear up, by applying full power, with full flaps to put a load on the motor. half way down the runway I pull back on the throttle to turn around, and the throttle breaks. I panic I crow hop 50 feet. I turn off engine land across the road and taxi ahead and hit a farmers plowed pharo, resulting in breaking the nose wheel off.' Witnesses observed the airplane take off and descent into a nursery.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE South Lyon MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 18 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:43 pm from ARB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.