Cessna 210-5(205) accident near Porterdale, Georgia, June 24, 2009
On June 24, 2009 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 210-5(205), registered N8272Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Porterdale, Georgia (Covington Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's use of improper fuel caps. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s selection of an unsuitable area for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2009 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Porterdale, Georgia · Covington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5(205) · all 210-5(205)s on the register
- Registration
- N8272Z · no longer on the register · serial 205-0272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during preflight inspection of his Cessna 205, on the day prior to the accident, he had noticed that the seals on the fuel caps were worn. He replaced them with fuel caps borrowed from a friend’s airplane, a Cessna 182. Following the preflight, he departed for a local airport for fuel and then returned. Upon his return he had noticed "gas streaking on top of the wings," but assumed that the fuel vents had discharged some fuel. On the day of the accident he checked the weather and departed with a passenger for a cross-country flight. While en route, the engine "coughed;" he turned on the fuel boost pump and switched the fuel selector from the right to the left tank, after which the engine restarted. The pilot noted that the fuel gauges were fluctuating in-flight between empty and one-quarter tank. Believing that he had sufficient fuel on board, he made a descent and continued towards his destination. Minutes later the engine quit, the pilot switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank, and made a turn for a local airport. Realizing that he would not make it to the airport, the pilot elected to land in a field. The airplane touched down on rough terrain and the nose strut sheared off. The airplane then dug into the ground and flipped over. The propeller, landing gear, wings, fuselage, and empennage incurred damage. The pilot stated that he had replaced the seals in the borrowed caps in order to prevent water from leaking into the fuel, but that the new seals did not fit as tightly and that fuel must have been "sucked" out of the tanks.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,280 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,935 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VG58 Rocky Mount VA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: FFC Peachtree City GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from ATL, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.