Cessna T210N accident near Rockford, Illinois, March 7, 1995
On March 7, 1995, a Cessna T210N, registered N6622N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockford, Illinois (Greater Rockford Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A DISCONNECT OF THE ALTERNATOR BELT, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN A DOWN AND LOCKED CONDITION OF THE GEAR WITH THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1995
- Place
- Rockford, Illinois · Greater Rockford Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6622N · no longer on the register · serial 21063125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKING OFF IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, THE PILOT SAW THE AIRPLANE'S CABIN LIGHTS FLICKER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LOW VOLTAGE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VOLTMETER INDICATED AN ABNORMAL VOLTAGE READING. THE PILOT RECEIVED ATC CLEARANCE TO DEVIATE AND PERFORM AN ILS APPROACH TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. ON THE APPROACH, THE PILOT LOST THE LOCALIZER AND GLIDESLOPE INDICATIONS AFTER ATTEMPTING A NORMAL EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE IF THE LANDING GEAR HAD GONE INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AT THIS TIME. A MISSED APPROACH WAS MADE AND THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WITH USE OF DEAD RECKONING. HE STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO VERIFY THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED DUE TO HIS HEAVY WORKLOAD AND ICE ACCUMULATION ON THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT RECEIVED LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TOWER TO LAND. WHILE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED, THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED, STRUCK A MOUND OF DIRT AND A CONCRETE ELECTRICAL VAULT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE ALTERNATOR BELT HAD BECOME UNATTACHED. THE LANDING GEAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY WHEN CHECKED AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,168 hours in all; 188 in this make and model; 256 in the last 90 days; 94 in the last 30 days; 2,080 as pilot in command; 1,114 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,181 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 1, 1995; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RFD at 11:42 pm
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 6,504 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from RFD
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.