Cessna P210N accident near Gillette, Wyoming, March 2, 2000
On March 2, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N6489W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gillette, Wyoming (Gillette-Campbell County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
The pilot's failure to land sooner to refuel, resulting in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion. A factor was a lack of suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gillette, Wyoming · Gillette-Campbell County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6489W · registry record · serial P210-00785
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the airplane was reportedly serviced to capacity (123 gallons). Weather was checked, and the pilot decided to fly VFR at 16,500 feet. No flight plan was filed. TAS was 185 knots, yielding an average GPS ground speed of 180 knots. It was estimated the 1,026 nm flight would take 5.7 hours. Allowing 20 minutes to climb to altitude, the pilot determined he would have more an hour of fuel reserve. Nearing his destination, the fuel gauges 'looked suspiciously low' (the Hoskins fuel calculator indicated 27 gallons of fuel remained). The pilot decided to divert to Gillette. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing on hilly terrain. The airplane touched down hard on a flat spot. The nose landing gear sheared off, and the airplane nosed over. Burning 120 gallons in 5.7 hours would require a consumption rate of slightly more than 21 gph.
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: 9,449 hours in all; 810 in this make and model; 257 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 730 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,502 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1999; 142 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-AF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI at 11:00 am
- Destination: SHR Sheridan WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from GCC, 2 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN00LA055.