Cessna 210L accident near Farmington, Missouri, April 24, 2001
On April 24, 2001 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N5060V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the crankshaft due to fatigue, the propeller separating from the airplane while in-flight, which resulted in the propeller striking the empennage structure and flight controls, yielding the airplane uncontrollable. Contributing factors to the accident were the previous damage to the crankshaft, the company/operator management disregarding the engine manufacture's service bulletin mandating an engine teardown inspection after a propeller strike event, and the inadequate inspection of the engine by the company maintenance staff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2001 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N5060V · registry record · serial 21060828
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight the engine crankshaft completely fractured and the propeller separated from the airplane subsequently striking the empennage. Witnesses reported that the airplane rolled to the right and impacted the terrain. The propeller severed the rudder control cables, the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, and the vertical stabilizer. The engine crankshaft was fractured between the crankshaft oil seal and the propeller flange. The propeller flange remained attached to the propeller hub assembly. According to the NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report, "Bench binocular microscope examination of the fracture face revealed crack arrest marks typical of a fatigue cracking. The fatigue crack emanated from multiple origins at the external surface of the aft fillet radius from the propeller flange... ." The accident airplane had been involved in a propeller strike incident in which the propeller was damaged. The propeller was removed and sent for inspection and overhaul. According to the maintenance logbooks, a teardown inspection of the engine was not completed as required by Teledyne Continental Motors Service Bulletin SB-96-11. At the time of the accident the engine had accumulated 573.6 hours since the propeller strike event.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,285 hours in all; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 5,126 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 30, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,435.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2001; 21.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M33 Gallatin TN
- Destination: MO30 Potosi MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from FAM, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.