Cessna T210J accident near Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, March 14, 2012
On March 14, 2012 at about 2:45 am local time, a Cessna T210J, registered N2275R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2012 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Rabbit Hash, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210J · all T210Js on the register
- Registration
- N2275R · no longer on the register · serial T210-0425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was flying it back to his home airport. When filing his flight plan, the pilot estimated that the time en route for the cross-country flight was 6 hours 30 minutes and that he had 7 hours 30 minutes of fuel on board; however, he planned to stop for fuel at an intermediate airport. The pilot did not stop at the planned fuel stop. Instead, he continued toward an airport about 300 miles further along his route of flight. While being vectored for a visual approach to that airport, after flying for 4 hours 17 minutes, the engine lost all power. The airplane impacted a wooded area about 8 miles from the airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed that there was no fuel onboard. A subsequent test-run of the engine revealed that it was capable of producing full power. Before the purchase, the airplane’s 285-horsepower engine had been converted to a 310-horsepower engine. The increased power also resulted in increased fuel burn, which the pilot did not account for in his fuel planning. Review of performance data revealed that at 75 percent power, the airplane had an endurance of about 4 hours 30 minutes, not including the fuel needed for start, taxi, takeoff, and climb.
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
- 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 emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,322 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2011; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACT Waco TX at 10:28 pm
- Destination: BQR Lancaster NY
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 am from CVG, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.