Cessna 210 accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, April 8, 2017
On April 8, 2017 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 210, registered N3938Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Santa Teresa, New Mexico (Dona Ana County Airport At San). 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 pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, porpoised landing and subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2017 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Teresa, New Mexico · Dona Ana County Airport At San · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 D, built 1964 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N3938Y · no longer on the register · serial 21058438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings on the asphalt runway. The airplane bounced during the touchdown, and the airplane began a hard porpoise down the runway. The nose landing gear wheel cracked and separated from the airplane, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, and the left wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 139 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,029 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,097 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM
- Destination: 5T6 Santa Teresa NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 9,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:58 pm from BIF, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 25, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.