Cessna 210C accident near Riverside, California, October 21, 2002
On October 21, 2002 at about 5:02 pm local time, a Cessna 210C, registered N9788X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Riverside, California (Ontario Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to position the fuel selector to the tank containing fuel resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2002 · about 5:02 pm local time
- Place
- Riverside, California · Ontario Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210C · all 210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9788X · no longer on the register · serial 21058088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the instrument approach the engine quit, and the pilot attempted a forced landing in hilly terrain and poor visibility. According to flight planning information recovered from inside the airplane, it had departed with full fuel (63.5 useable gallons). The airplane had been airborne for about 3:17 hours at the time of the accident. Prior to disassembly of the airplane for recovery, the recovery agent drained the fuel tanks. The left tank had about 13 gallons of blue liquid with the odor of aviation gasoline, and the right tank was empty. The manufacturer ran the engine in a test cell. It performed normally without any hesitation or interruptions in power from idle to full throttle.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 628 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 23, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUP Gallup NM at 12:45 pm
- Destination: ONT Ontario CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 10,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; scat
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KONT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.