Cessna T210K accident near Metropolis, Illinois, January 5, 1993
On January 5, 1993 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna T210K, registered N732FB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Metropolis, Illinois. 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 FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST VALVE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1993 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Metropolis, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210K · all T210Ks on the register
- Registration
- N732FB · no longer on the register · serial 21061471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED WHILE OPERATING IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 9,000 FEET ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, THE ENGINE '...GAVE A JOLT AND FAILED.' HE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS TOWARDS THE NEAREST AIRPORT. HE REPORTED HE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 1,700 FEET MSL OVER HILLY WOODED TERRAIN. HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SMALL, MUDDY CORN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING AN INTENTIONAL GROUND LOOP TO AVOID TREES AT THE END OF THE FIELD. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS DUE TO A FAILED EXHAUST VALVE IN THE #2 CYLINDER. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURED VALVE REVEALED FATIGUE CRACKING INITIATING FROM MULTIPLE ORIGINS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FRACTURE FACE. THE ENGINE HAD 1869 HOURS TOTAL TIME, WITH 671 HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL. EXAMINATION REVEALED NO MATERIAL IMPERFECTIONS, AND THE MATERIAL HARDNESS EXCEEDED MANUFACTURER'S MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 16,100 hours in all; 597 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 15,503 as pilot in command; 8,703 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,869 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 21, 1992; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C24 Downer'S Grove IL at 1:20 pm
- Destination: HAB Hamilton AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from PAH, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.