Cessna 210M accident near Watertown, Minnesota, May 11, 2002
On May 11, 2002 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 210M, registered N357TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watertown, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper fuel management by the pilot which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain in which the forced landing was completed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2002 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Watertown, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N357TC · no longer on the register · serial 21062456
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending into the intended destination there was a total loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he was unable to restore engine power and performed a forced landing into a soft field. During the landing the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the airplane was completely fueled prior to the initial flight of the day and he had flown approximately 3.6 hours since the last fueling. The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, "... he [the pilot] forgot to switch the fuel selector to the other tank." Subsequent to the accident approximately 5 gallons of aviation fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank and there was evidence of a fuel spill around the accident site.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 937 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 734 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 14, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,302.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2002; 45.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOX Morris MN at 11:00 pm
- Destination: FCM Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
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.