Cessna 210 accident near Hayward, California, April 24, 1999
On April 24, 1999 at about 2:52 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N9512T, was destroyed in an accident near Hayward, California (Hayward Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and his failure to verify fuel consumption during flight that resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent collision with obstacles and the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1999 · about 2:52 am local time
- Place
- Hayward, California · Hayward Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9512T · no longer on the register · serial 21057312
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending toward a right base entry to runway 28R, the pilot lost engine power after switching from the left to the right fuel tank. He was attempting to perform a forced landing in a residential area when the right wing collided with an electrical transmission line. The airplane subsequently collided with a tree and a portion of an apartment building. Both fuel tanks and their associated lines were intact, and no evidence of leakage was found around the fuel filler caps. Approximately 2.5 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left tank. There was no measurable fuel quantity in the right tank. The fuel selector valve handle was found on the right tank. The accuracy of the fuel gauges' calibration could not be determined. There was no evidence of a flight planning or fuel usage calculation found in the wreckage. The 2-bladed propeller exhibited damage that is consistent with a 'wind milling' propeller. The total quantity of fuel onboard at the time of the last departure is unknown. During postaccident testing, the engine was supplied with fuel and it started and ran for several minutes without discrepancies. The pilot stated that he has no recollection of the accident.
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
- Flight time: 7,228 hours in all; 28 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,228 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 1998; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O22 Columbia CA at 2:07 am
- Destination: HWD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28R, 3,107 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:58 am from HWD, 2 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.