Cessna 210C accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, December 19, 2000
On December 19, 2000 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 210C, registered N9791X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Eagle Creek Airport). 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 reason for the loss of engine power is undetermined. A factor was 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 19, 2000 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Eagle Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210C · all 210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9791X · no longer on the register · serial 21058091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial climbout at about 1,000 feet agl, the engine started sputtering and lost power. A forced landing was executed to a rough field where a gear up landing was made. The pilot reported, "All controls were checked to be full forward, booster pumps Hi & lo were actuated, no response, turned 90 [degrees] to left to find airport, still no recovery, switched to right fuel tank, no response, looked for place to land and flew airplane until impact with ground." The on-site inspection indicated no apparent fuel stains in the snow around the right wing or the nose wheel where the gascolator was found broken. The fuel selector was found selected to the right tank. Both fuel caps were found with a ring of ice around the caps. The right fuel tank was visually verified empty and the left fuel tank was verified nearly full of fuel. The pilot reported both fuel tanks were topped off about a month prior to the accident and the airplane had been outside on a ramp since then. The fuel distributor exhibited fuel present and fuel was found in the fuel line leading to the fuel distributor.
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
- Flight time: 381 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,980 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2000; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYE at 8:00 pm
- Destination: MQJ Mount Pleasant IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from IND, 7 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.