Cessna T210K accident near Los Alamos, New Mexico, October 28, 2007
On October 28, 2007 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210K, registered N8251M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Alamos, New Mexico (Los Alamos Airport). It was a business 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 binding of the nose landing gear doors for undetermined reasons, resulting in the pilot having to make a nose gear up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2007 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Los Alamos, New Mexico · Los Alamos Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210K · all T210Ks on the register
- Registration
- N8251M · no longer on the register · serial 59251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot's statement, during his approach to Los Alamos, he attempted to extend the landing gear. During the gear extension, the pilot noted that "something did not sound right, and [I] did not get a gear down indication in the cockpit." The pilot cycled the landing gear approximately "10 to 15 times in various speeds, power settings, g-loads, and attitudes" with no result. The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear manually, again with no result. The pilot then decided to fly the airplane to the airport in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has a control tower, and have the tower controllers visually verify that the landing gear was down. The tower controller at Santa Fe advised the pilot that the airplane's nose landing gear was not extended and the nose gear doors were closed. After several more unsuccessful attempts to troubleshoot the problem, the pilot returned to Los Alamos and landed the airplane with the nose gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage. The airplane was examined and the landing gear was operated by a FAA inspector. During the first gear extension the nose landing gear unlocked, but the nose landing gear doors did not open. A mechanic pushed lightly on the gear doors and they came open, and the nose landing gear came down and locked. Subsequent cycles of the landing gear could not duplicate the problem.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,360 hours in all; 2,263 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 3,214 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,646 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNM Carlsbad NM at 8:30 pm
- Destination: LAM Los Alamos NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 5,550 ft by 113 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 11:30 pm from KLAM
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.
Other NTSB records under N8251M 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.