Cessna 210 accident near Newark, Ohio, March 1, 2001
On March 1, 2001 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N3738Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newark, Ohio (Newark Heath Airport). It was a personal 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
Improper maintenance, which resulted in the failure of the instrument panel shock mounts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2001 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, Ohio · Newark Heath Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N3738Y · registry record · serial 21058238
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a descent the pilot noted "extreme pressure" was required to pull back on the controls to level the airplane. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and continued on a straight-in approach for the airport. During the landing flare, the pilot could not pull the control yoke "far enough to roundout," and the airplane landed hard on the nosewheel, and came to rest off the side of the runway. A flight control check after the accident revealed that the flight controls could only be deflected aft to the "level flight" position. The horizontal situational indicator (HSI) was then removed from the instrument panel, and the flight controls could be deflected to their full aft position. Examination of the control stop on the control column tube, revealed significant chaffing marks and black paint transfer on its upper surface. Examination of the rear casing of the HSI revealed similar chaffing marks and an indentation consistent with the shape of the control column stop, on the lower edge of the instrument. Additionally, five shock mounts were installed on the instrument panel, of which the lower right and lower center shock mounts were broken, and the upper left shock mount was not attached. Examination of the shock mounts revealed they were fractured through their elastomeric center sections on one end of the mount, and large gaping cracks were noted on the opposite end of the mounts. A large number of smaller circumferential cracks were also observed through the center section of the mounts. The maintenance logbooks revealed that the HSI was installed in the airplane on August 17,1994, by an avionics facility, to replace the original directional gyro (DG) instrument. According to the Cessna 210 Service Manual, "The service life of shock-mounted instruments is directly related to adequate shock-mounting of the panel. If removal of the shock-mounted panel is necessary, check mounts for deterioration and replace as necessary." Detailed examination of the shock mounts revealed they were the original shock mounts installed in the airplane in December 1963.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 736 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,304 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2001; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 2:30 pm
- Destination: VTA Newark OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,648 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from VTA
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.