Cessna P210N accident near Los Angeles, California, July 9, 1989
On July 9, 1989 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N609AC, was destroyed in an accident near Los Angeles, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNDERTORQUED OIL LINE FITTING, DUE TO ITS IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOOSE OIL LINE FITTING, AN OIL LINE LEAK, OIL EXHAUSTION, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE ENGINE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1989 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N609AC · no longer on the register · serial P21000609
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE FIRST FLT AFTER THE ACFT'S ANNUAL INSPECTION FOLLOWING REPLACEMENT OF ALL OIL LINES, THE CFI PLANNED TO GIVE THE ACFT'S OWNER/PLT A BFR. FIVE MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE CREW OBSERVED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE INDICATED NEAR ZERO LBS OF PRESSURE. THE CFI MONITORED THE OIL TEMP GAGE & THE TEMP WAS IN THE GREEN ARC. THE CREW ALERTED ATC OF THE SITUATION & REC'D AN IFR CLEARANCE BACK TO THE ARPT. DURING THE NEXT 14 MIN, THE OIL PRESSURE NEEDLE REMAINED SLIGHTLY ABOVE RED LINE, THE OIL TEMP REMAINED STABLE & IN THE GREEN ARC. THE ACFT PASSED THE FINAL APPROACH FIX & CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. SUDDENLY, ALL ENG PWR WAS LOST. THE CFI MADE A FORCED LDG ON A GOLF COURSE 3 MI FM THE ARPT. EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED INTERNAL HEAT DISTRESS & BROKEN CONN RODS. FURTHER EXAM REVEALED A 'B' NUT ON A NEWLY INSTALLED OIL LINE HAD NOT BEEN SECURELY TORQUED & HAD COME LOOSE AT ITS ENG CASE ATTACHMENT FITTING. THE OIL LINE WAS FOUND SATURATED WITH OIL.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,700 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,058 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 6:09 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:32 pm from SMO, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.