Cessna 210M accident near Salida, Colorado, October 10, 2004
On October 10, 2004, a Cessna 210M, registered N732TE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salida, Colorado (Harriet Alexander airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which failed to determine the fuel supply was inadequate resulting in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2004
- Place
- Salida, Colorado · Harriet Alexander · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N732TE · no longer on the register · serial 21061755
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-rated passenger aboard the accident flight -- the pilot's flight instructor -- had flown the airplane to their vacation spot the previous week. The pilot followed in an automobile carrying a week's worth of supplies. The pilot estimated the instructor had 45 gallons of fuel on board when he departed. The first leg of ther trip took 1 hour, 20 minutes. There, the instructor purchased 40 gallons of fuel. The last leg took 1 hour, 10 minutes. When they prepared to return home, the pilot asked his flight instructor if he had purchased any fuel. The instructor thought he was referring to gasoline purchased for the houseboat, and he replied he had purchased 60 gallons. The pilot said that when they took off, he thought he had more fuel on board than there actually was. The takeoff and climb to 11,500 feet was made on the left tank. After 30 minutes, he switched to the right tank. Knowing the right fuel gauge was unreliable, he drew fuel from the right tank until it ran dry about 1 hour later. He switched back to the left tank and climbed to 13,500 feet. The airplane had now been in the air approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes. Ten to 15 minutes later, the engine "sputtered" and lost power. The left fuel gauge indicated 1/3 full. All attempts to restore engine power were to no avail. He turned and glided towards an airport. When he turned final for runway 24, he lost sight of the runway because the sun was in his eyes. He selected a field and touched down 1/4-mile to the right runway centerline and 1 mile short of the runway. The landing gear was torn off and the empennage was extensively damage. The left wing struck a fence post and breached the fuel tank. Fuel leaked from the tank, "but not a whole lot." The pilot said he used an average fuel consumption rate of 15 gallons per hour fuel when making endurance and range calculations. He estimated he had an hour's worth of fuel on board plus reserves. Later, he admitted the engine most likely post power due to fuel exhaustion.
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: 1,440 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,290 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 18, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,500 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 2004; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U07 Bullfrog Basin UT at 10:30 pm
- Destination: COS Colorado Spring CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 7,350 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from U07, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.