Cessna T210L accident near Lonestar, Texas, September 21, 1996
On September 21, 1996 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N369PT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lonestar, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper fuel consumption calculations resulting in the fuel exhaustion. A factor was the unsuitable 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
- September 21, 1996 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Lonestar, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N369PT · no longer on the register · serial 21061150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was being vectored around thunderstorm activity while en route from a fuel stop to his intended destination. He indicated to approach control that he was low on fuel, and he was going to attempt to locate and land at a private airport. The engine lost power, and the aircraft landed in trees about 1 mile south of the airport and came to rest inverted. According to the pilot's written statement, he was calculating the airplane's fuel burn in miles per gallon instead of gallons per hour. During a telephone interview, the pilot stated that the airplane had run out of fuel. The engine was test run, and it ran for approximately 30 minutes with no difficulties noted. Inspection of the engine and airframe log books revealed that the airplane did not have a current annual inspection.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 516 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,337 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 30, 1995; 279 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520H4B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POF Poplar Bluff MO
- Destination: ADS Addison TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.