Cessna T210L accident near Durango, Colorado, March 21, 1997
On March 21, 1997 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N613CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 planning/decision, and failure to ensure there was sufficient fuel aboard for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for a successful forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1997 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado
- 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
- N613CW · no longer on the register · serial 59920
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he departed with 48 gallons of fuel on board to fly a 223 NM trip, which included 4 full stops. The pilot reported that he believed that he had sufficient fuel to complete the trip, and that he checked the fuel with a company approved calibrated measuring device at each stop. He further stated that as he was nearing his destination, the 'engine quit,' and he performed a forced landing in a 'rugged sage brush field.' Personnel involved in the airplane recovery process reported that they found 'no fuel in the airplane, nor was there any evidence of fuel spillage or leakage on the ground at the scene.' A representative of the airplane's manufacturer calculated that the trip, with 4 full stops, required approximately 56 gallons of fuel to complete.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 4,425 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,636 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 19, 1997; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 5CO0 CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.