Cessna 210M accident near Shirley, New York, July 28, 2013
On July 28, 2013 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 210M, registered N450EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Shirley, New York (Brookhaven Airport). 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 pilot's loss of control during an aborted takeoff as a result of his failure to properly configure the elevator trim prior to flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2013 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Shirley, New York · Brookhaven Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M, built 1977 · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N450EM · no longer on the register · serial 61799
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that, after completing a preflight inspection of the airplane and an engine run up, he taxied the airplane for departure. As the airplane rotated off the runway, the pilot noted that the control yoke felt "heavy." Approximately 25 feet above the ground, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff, and pitched the airplane's nose down. The airplane contacted the runway, bounced, and became airborne again. As the airplane touched down a second time in a nose-down attitude, the propeller struck the runway and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded off the right side of the runway and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, right wing, and engine firewall. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the elevator trim wheel was set to the nose-down position, which accounted for the "heavy" feeling of the flight controls the pilot experienced during the takeoff.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Related operating info
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,864 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,803 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from HWV
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.
Other NTSB records under N450EM 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.