Cessna T210L accident near Madison, Wisconsin, November 17, 2000
On November 17, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N29233, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Wisconsin (Dane County Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 cause of the loss of engine power is undetermined. Factors in the accident included the fence and the localizer antennas.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Wisconsin · Dane County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N29233 · no longer on the register · serial 21059837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climbout at about 880 feet agl, the engine lost power and a forced landing back to the airport was attempted. The landing gear struck the perimeter fence and the airplane impacted the ground and skidded into the localizer antennas. The pilot reported he switched fuel tanks and turned the auxiliary fuel pump on (original equipment), but did not attempt a restart because he was focused on landing and not stalling the airplane. During the inspection of the airplane, the engine ran and no engine anomalies were found. The fuel tanks were compromised but no fuel system anomalies were found. No water contamination was evident. The pilot reported that during preflight he had checked the main tanks for contamination but not the auxiliary wing tanks. Prior to flight the pilot had turned on the fuel pumps for the STC'd auxiliary fuel tanks, which pumped the fuel into the main tanks. The pilot reported he did not turn on the auxiliary fuel pumps on the two previous maintenance test flights.
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: 843 hours in all; 203 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 659 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MFN at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 9,006 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MSN
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.