Cessna T210F accident near Monticello, New York, July 15, 2022
On July 15, 2022 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna T210F, registered N6195R, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Monticello, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s improper torque of the engine through-bolts during maintenance, which resulted in a bearing shift, oil starvation, and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2022 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Monticello, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210F, built 1966 · all T210Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6195R · no longer on the register · serial T210-0095
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was descending toward the destination airport when the engine began losing power and “making noises.” The pilot switched fuel tanks, but the power loss continued. He subsequently began looking for a place to land the airplane. The pilot then heard what sounded like an “explosion” from the engine. The oil service door blew open and began spewing oil and smoke from the service door opening, covering the windscreen. Smoke then began entering the cabin. The pilot landed on a road with the landing gear retracted, and the airplane slid to a stop. The airplane caught on fire, and the pilot egressed before the cockpit was consumed. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods were fractured. The No. 5 connecting rod was missing and the No. 6 connecting rod exhibited thermal discoloration consistent with a loss of lubrication. The crankshaft and camshaft were fractured at the No. 5 cylinder. Review of the engine logbook revealed that about 100 flight hours (5 months) before the accident flight, engine through-bolt nuts were removed and resealed for oil leaks. Given this information, it is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly torque the crankcase through-bolts, which allowed the No. 5 main bearing to shift, resulting in loss of lubrication to that area and subsequent engine failure.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,730.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 999,999 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FWN Sussex NJ at 12:27 pm
- Destination: MSV Monticello NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KMSV, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMSV 151656Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM FEW065 26/11 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP221 T02610106 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records (Excerpts) | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.