Cessna T210-M accident near Monticello, Arkansas, December 9, 2001
On December 9, 2001 at about 4:51 pm local time, a Cessna T210-M, registered N317RG, was destroyed in an accident near Monticello, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the #2 connecting rod and subsequent catastrophic failure of the engine. A factor was the in-flight collision with a vehicle while maneuvering to a emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2001 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- Monticello, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210-M · all T210-Ms on the register
- Registration
- N317RG · no longer on the register · serial 21062186
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to ATC that he was having engine problems. Subsequently, the radar showed that the aircraft descended at an average rate of about 1,090 feet per minute over the next 4 minutes. A witness observed the airplane approaching from the south at "tree top level" apparently attempting to land on a highway. As the airplane approached the highway, it struck an asphalt compactor and "burst into flames." Teardown examination of the engine revealed that the #2 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft during engine operation. No evidence engine lubrication distress was found and the fractured surfaces from the connecting rod components all showed evidence of overload.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 260 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TRL Terrell TX at 3:00 pm
- Destination: LLQ Monticello AR
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from LLQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.