Cessna T210M accident near Kelseyville, California, February 3, 2001
On February 3, 2001 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Cessna T210M, registered N761SE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kelseyville, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to comply with emergency procedures contained in the Pilot's Operating Handbook, which resulted in an excessively rich mixture and loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 2001 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kelseyville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N761SE · no longer on the register · serial 21062474
- 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, during his preflight inspection of the aircraft, he noted the fuel gauges indicated about 25 gallons total fuel in the tanks, and, while looking in each of the two tanks and rocking the aircraft, he could hear sloshing and saw an irregular reflection. After takeoff, while climbing out at 120 - 130 knots and climbing 500 feet per minute, the airplane was near 4,000 feet msl when he felt the controls of the airplane get heavy. He had a headset on and couldn't hear the engine well. When he checked the instruments he saw that the engine tachometer was down to 1,200 rpm and the airspeed was slowing to below 100 knots. There was no roughness, no loud noise, and no sputtering from the engine. The engine continued to windmill. The airplane was on the right-hand fuel tank and he switched to the left tank. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were in the full forward position. He believed that he only turned on the low fuel boost pump switch position because he focused his attention outside the airplane on selecting a site and landing. The aircraft recovery company reported that, when they recovered the airplane, there was no fuel in the right tank and about 8 gallons fuel in the left tank (0.5 gallons of fuel in each tank is unusable). A postaccident examination of the aircraft did not reveal any mechanical abnormality. According to the Cessna Aircraft Company Pilot Operating Handbook for the model T210M (Emergency Procedures, Engine Failure During Flight), following loss of engine power, the pilot should; 1) switch to the fuller fuel tank, 2) place the mixture control in the full rich position, 3) turn the auxiliary fuel pump on for 3 - 5 seconds with the throttle 1/2 open, and 4) slowly advance the throttle. A Cessna Aircraft spokesman said that, if the throttle and mixture were full forward (full throttle and rich mixture) and the boost pump remained on while the engine was rotating at only 1,200 rpm, a flooded fuel condition was likely created in the engine which prevented restart.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,462 hours in all; 418 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,369 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,407 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2000; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R12B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O31 Healdsburg CA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: WLW Willows CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from UKI, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.