Cessna 210 accident near Rapid City, South Dakota, August 10, 2005
On August 10, 2005, a Cessna 210, registered N9408T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rapid City, South Dakota (Rapid City Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The landing gear extension not possible and inoperative flap system due to fatigue failure of a hydraulic system tube during approach. An additional cause was the improper rebuild/remanufacture of the hydraulic tube. Contributing factors were the dependency of the landing gear and flap systems on the common hydraulic system allowing a single-point failure to affect both systems.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2005
- Place
- Rapid City, South Dakota · Rapid City Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9408T · no longer on the register · serial 57208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the landing runway in a gear-up and no flap configuration following a loss of hydraulic fluid. The pilot stated that he was unable to lower the flaps for the landing. The airplane slid off the runway, impacted a culvert, and came to rest on a grass area adjacent to the runway. The landing gear and flap system were operated by a common hydraulic system. The pilot was unable to extend the flaps after not being able to extend the landing gear. Inspection of the airplane revealed a fractured hydraulic tube in the nose section of the airplane. The hydraulic tube fracture exhibited a fatigue fracture that was located at one of several circumferential impressions on the tube. There was no record of repair of the hydraulic tube assembly in the airplane maintenance logbooks.
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: 452 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 384 as pilot in command; 149 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 360 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,840.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2004; 40.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-E-13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUW Superior WI at 8:20 pm
- Destination: RAP Rapid City SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,601 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from RAP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.