Cessna T210L accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 20, 1996
On July 20, 1996 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N210RE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe County Municipal airport). 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
the pilot's improper decision to continue the flight after noting the low fuel quantity indication, which resulted in fuel starvation before reaching the airport. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1996 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe County Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N210RE · registry record · serial 210-60516
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a cross country flight of 3 hours and 25 minutes, the airplane was on the base leg for landing when the engine lost power. During the ensuing forced landing on a road, the left wing struck a road sign, and the airplane departed the road and collided with a wire fence. About 2 hours and 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot noted that the left fuel quantity indicator was indicating a low fuel quantity. The pilot stated that he discounted the low fuel quantity indication since he had visually confirmed both tanks were full prior to departure, and he elected to continue the flight. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right tank, and 1 quart of fuel was drained from the right tank. The left fuel tank was ruptured; the fuel quantity could not be determined. No evidence of fuel leakage was found on the lower or upper wing surfaces, the aircraft belly, or inside the engine compartment. Six months prior to the accident, the fuel gauges had been calibrated to ensure that they indicated empty when the fuel tanks were empty.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,353 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RBD Dallas TX at 6:45 pm
- Destination: SAF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from SAF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N210RE 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.