Cessna 210A accident near Bay City, Texas, April 30, 1999
On April 30, 1999 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 210A, registered N9404X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bay City, Texas (Bay City airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate management of fuel and his failure to follow the pre-landing checklist resulting in the loss of engine power as a result of fuel starvation. Factors were the pilot's physiological condition and 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
- April 30, 1999 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bay City, Texas · Bay City
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210A · all 210As on the register
- Registration
- N9404X · no longer on the register · serial 21057704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a cross-country flight, the pilot became physically impaired by stomach pains and diverted to a nearby airport to use the restroom. The pilot forgot to switch fuel tanks during the pre-landing check and on downwind, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank and turned on the fuel pump; however, the propeller stopped windmilling and the pilot was unable to restart the engine. During the forced landing in a field, the airplane impacted a 5 foot drainage ditch.
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: 1,101 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,001 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,445 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1999; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T19 Freer TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: HPY Baytown TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.