Cessna P210N accident near Seminole, Alabama, February 16, 2001
On February 16, 2001 at about 3:15 am local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N210FW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seminole, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper inflight planning/decision and failure to refuel en route and ensure an adequate supply of fuel to safely complete the flight to his destination with adequate reserves, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, subsequent engine failure, and a forced landing into a wooded area at night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2001 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Seminole, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N210FW · no longer on the register · serial P210-000037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of N210FW stated to an FAA controller that he had run out of fuel. The aircraft crashed about 13 miles west of Pensacola, Florida, in a wooded area. Post accident examination of the aircraft revealed only the presence of residual fuel in the aircraft, and according to the pilot, there had been no failure or malfunctions to the aircraft, or any of its systems, prior the aircraft running out of fuel.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,147 hours in all; 546 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,798 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2000; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Cont TSIO-520P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AHH Amery WI at 8:10 pm
- Destination: JKA Gulf Shores AL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:58 am from PNS, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.