Cessna T210J accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, July 3, 2004
On July 3, 2004 at about 7:41 pm local time, a Cessna T210J, registered N2KD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming (Cheyenne airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the detachment of the nut and bolt that attaches the throttle control cable to the fuel induction due to improper maintenance. Contributing factors were the fiber optics wire, fence, and ditch, and the unavailability of suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2004 · about 7:41 pm local time
- Place
- Cheyenne, Wyoming · Cheyenne · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210J · all T210Js on the register
- Registration
- N2KD · registry record · serial T210-0436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that after an uneventful flight, he was cleared to land on runway 30. While on final approach, the engine lost power and he made a forced landing in a field 1-1/2 mile short of the runway. The airplane struck a fiber optics cable, then touched down in the field, went through a fence, and struck a 3-foot wide, 2-1/2-foot deep irrigation ditch. The landing gear was sheared, and the nose gear penetrated the cabin floor. The bottom half of the engine cowling was crushed, the left wing tip was torn off, the engine mounts were broken, and the vertical stabilizer was dented. A similar accounting was given in his written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (copy attached). Postaccident examination revealed that the bolt and nut that attaches the throttle control cable to the fuel induction was missing. Examination of the aircraft maintenance records revealed on April 1, 2004, the engine was removed from the airframe and inspected for metal contamination. Engine removal would necessitate detaching the throttle control cable from the fuel induction.
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: 100 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,979 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9F9 Fort Worth TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CYS Cheyenne WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 6,691 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from CYS, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N2KD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.