Cessna T210L accident near Las Animas, Colorado, September 24, 2005
On September 24, 2005, a Cessna T210L, registered N94263, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Animas, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2005
- Place
- Las Animas, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N94263 · registry record · serial 21060569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial descent, the engine lost power and the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. While in cruise flight, the pilot "ran the left tank down to the beginning of the red, [then] switched to the right tank." Approximately 5 to 8 minutes later, the pilot noticed a loss in fuel pressure. Subsequently, the engine lost power, and the pilot's attempt to restart the engine was unsuccessful. Unable to reach an airport, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted uneven terrain, and the nose wheel collapsed. According to air traffic control, the pilot reported "he was out of fuel and unable to make the airport."
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: 1,903 hours in all; 921 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07V La Veta CO
- Destination: LAA Lamar CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.