Cessna 210 accident near Jasper, Georgia, November 11, 2012
On November 11, 2012 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N9633T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Jasper, Georgia (Pickens County 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s prolonged sideslip maneuvers during the descent to landing. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s lack of a required placard advising pilots to avoid lengthy sideslip maneuvers with fuel tanks less than 1/2 full.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2012 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Georgia · Pickens County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9633T · no longer on the register · serial 57433
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight, the pilot elected to refuel at an intermediate airport. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left (which he reported contained fuel quantities of 1/4 tank and between 1/3 and 1/2 tank, respectively, according to the fuel gauges), and initiated a descent. The pilot circled the airplane over the airport until he reached traffic pattern altitude and then maneuvered for landing. The pilot stated that due to crosswind conditions at the airport, he had to “crab and slip the airplane” to maintain the proper final approach course. When the airplane was about 1 mile from the runway threshold, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was unsuccessful in his attempts to restart the engine and conducted a forced landing to a road. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right fuel tank contained about 14 gallons of fuel, and the left tank contained about 9 gallons. A postaccident test run of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A service letter issued by the manufacturer about 47 years before the accident and a subsequent airworthiness directive issued by the Federal Aviation Administration required the installation of a placard on the instrument panel directly under the fuel quantity indicators which stated, “Avoid landing approaches in red arc and over 30 second slips under 1/2 tank.” The placard was not installed on the accident airplane at the time of the accident. Given the airplane’s fuel state at the time of the accident and the absence of mechanical malfunctions in postaccident examinations, it is likely that, while the pilot was descending and maneuvering for landing using a prolonged sideslip, the fuel tank outlet became unported, and that the subsequent lack of fuel flow resulted in a loss of engine power.
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 engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Related operating info
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Related operating info
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Placards and markings › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 319 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 273 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,578 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc IO-470-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: SRB Sparta TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from CNI, 8 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.