Cessna T210N accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, October 29, 2000
On October 29, 2000 at about 1:55 am local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N5170Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico (Dona Ana County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to follow procedures/directives and lower the landing gear for landing. Contributing factors were the damaged propellers making it impossible to perform a go-around, the inadvertent stall to the runway, and the pilot being in a state of fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2000 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · Dona Ana County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5170Y · no longer on the register · serial 21064106
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing flare, the propeller blades began striking the runway, and the pilot realized that he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He said that he "pulled up on the yoke, applied power, but the three damaged propeller blades prevented a successful go around." The airplane stalled and impacted the runway. The pilot said that he believes that fatigue was a factor. He said that he had been in an intensive flight-training program all week and had been up since 0530 on the day of 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,985 hours in all; 457 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 2,825 as pilot in command; 48 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,375 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2000; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO520R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ICT Wichita KS
- Destination: 5T6 NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 10, 8,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from 5T6
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.