Cessna T210 incident near Winona, Minnesota, May 8, 1997
On May 8, 1997 at about 12:14 pm local time, a Cessna T210, registered N7398M, was involved in an incident near Winona, Minnesota (Max Conrad Field). 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power due to improper maintenance installation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1997 · about 12:14 pm local time
- Place
- Winona, Minnesota · Max Conrad Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N7398M · no longer on the register · serial 21062018
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while flying at 8,000 feet msl, about a half hour into the flight, the engine missed then ran normal again. The engine power then decreased to 20 inches of manifold pressure. He stated he informed Air Traffic Control of the situation and requested the nearest airport which was 8 miles away. The pilot attempted to re-establish engine power to no avail. The pilot was able to reach the airport and the engine lost all power while on final approach. The pilot made an uneventful forced landing on the runway. Inspection of the engine revealed that the wrong pistons were installed in the engine. The pistons should have been part number 648044 (compression ratio of 7 to 1). The pistons found installed in the engine were part number 648045 (compression ratio of 8.5 to 1). The engine was overhauled on July 30, 1996.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,333 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 246 in the last 90 days; 96 in the last 30 days; 1,275 as pilot in command; 749 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 2, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 4,016 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-502-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 10:50 am
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 5,199 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.