Cessna 210 accident near Clarence, Iowa, January 24, 2003
On January 24, 2003 at about 2:01 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N6572X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clarence, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the crankshaft for undetermined reasons. Factors associated with the accident were the rough terrain on which the forced landing was made and the night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2003 · about 2:01 am local time
- Place
- Clarence, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N6572X · no longer on the register · serial 57572
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a gear-up off airport landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported he added a quart of oil and strained the fuel tanks prior to the flight. He reported that during the flight while passing through 4,700 feet on his way up to 5,500 feet, the engine started sputtering and shaking. The pilot reported he switched fuel tanks, and adjusted the mixture, propeller control, and throttle. He stated the manifold pressure was indicating the high 20's and he was not sure if the engine was running. He reported the airplane was now at 3,700 feet and descending about 1,000 feet per minute. According to his global positioning system (GPS) the nearest airport was 9.8 miles away. After considering his landing options, the pilot elected to land in an area that was a "big black nothing." The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear, but it did not engage in the down and locked position. He stated he was going to use the emergency extension hand pump, but he was getting low and decided to concentrate on flying the airplane. The forced landing was made in a harvested cornfield and the airplane contacted a barbwire fence prior to coming to a stop. The engine, a Continental IO-470-E, serial number 77543-O-E, had 1259.28 total hours when it was overhauled on June 30, 1971. The last logbook entry that listed a time since major overhaul (SMOH) for the engine was dated October 29, 2002. The time SMOH listed was 1237 hours. Total time on the airplane at the time of the accident was 2591.69 hours. Post accident inspection revealed it was difficult to turn the propeller by hand. There was a large amount of oil on the bottom of the engine cowling and no oil was found on the dipstick. The source of the oil leak was not determined. Further inspection revealed the crankshaft was broken between the number 2 and number 3 cylinders.
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: 320 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 271 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,591.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IRK Kirksville IA
- Destination: PCZ Waupaca WI
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point -17°F (-27°C)
- Altimeter: 30.59 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from CID, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.