Cessna 210K accident near Oxnard, California, November 16, 2000
On November 16, 2000 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Cessna 210K, registered N8118G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oxnard, California (Oxnard 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
Failure of the internal cam gear in the remanufactured engine. A factor was the congested obstacles in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2000 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Oxnard, California · Oxnard · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210K · all 210Ks on the register
- Registration
- N8118G · registry record · serial 21059418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial approach descent from cruise altitude, the engine lost power. The pilot richened the fuel mixture, which increased the engine vibrations. The pilot noticed the manifold pressure dropping and reduced the throttle. As power was reapplied, vibrations of a higher magnitude occurred. Los Angeles ARTCC (air route traffic control center) was notified of the emergency and directed the pilot to the nearest airport for landing. After considering the distance to the closest airport, the pilot decided to put the airplane down in a vacant dirt lot. The engine was installed the previous May and the postcrash inspection revealed a broken cam gear. The new engine was a factory remanufactured Continental IO-550. It replaced the original Continental IO-520, and its installation was authorized under a supplemental type certificate (STC).
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: 638 hours in all; 335 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 586 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,892 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2000; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental I0550N7B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNO Chino CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: SMX Santa Maria CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from OXR
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.