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Accidents · NTSB MIA06LA121 · Final report

Cessna T210 accident near Crestview, Florida, July 15, 2006

On July 15, 2006 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna T210, registered N5266Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crestview, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

Spinning of the crankshaft No. 2 main bearing for undetermined reasons resulting in damage to the aft cheek of the No. 2 main bearing journal and fatigue failure of the crankshaft.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
July 15, 2006 · about 5:45 pm local time
Place
Crestview, Florida · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Cessna T210 · all T210s on the register
Registration
N5266Y · no longer on the register · serial 21064144
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot stated to the responding FAA inspector that during cruise flight the engine made a loud bang with a subsequent loss of engine power. The propeller remained windmilling and there was no response to engine controls and a restart. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to land in an open area within a timberland. The approach was normal until the landing. The main wheels touch down first and the nose wheel followed, which dug into the terrain, separating, and the airplane flipped over before coming to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane unassisted. Post recovery examination revolved there was a lost of continuity in the engine. The engine was taken to the manufacturer for a teardown examination. The crankshaft was separated at the No. 2 main bearing. The crankshaft and crankcase halves alone with associated parts were examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C. The crankshaft was fractured through the aft cheek of the No. 2 main bearing journal. Optical examinations found features typical of fatigue propagation, smoothly textured surfaces with curved arrest lines, on the forward facture. Ratchets marks indicated that the fatigue initiated at multiple locations on the surface of the aft radius of the main journal surface with rearward propagation through the crank cheek. The fatigue initiation was located at the approximate tangent point between the aft journal radius and the face of the forward face of the cheek. The surface of the No. 2 main journal was circumferentially roughened but not deeply gouged. Heat tinting darkened was observed in the local areas. Other main and cylinder journals showed some local damage but none to the extent of the No. 2 main. The main bearing shells for the No. 2 main were fractured and broken up into several pieces. Many were not accounted for. The other bearing shells were intact showing various levels of wear, damage and debris embedment. The bearing shells were marked as FAA-PMA part numbers SA642720M10, indicating 0.010 inch oversize bearings. Engine logbooks reflect, the engine last received a major overhaul on April 22, 1998, 1,354 flight hours before the accident. On August 27, 2004, 315 flight hours before the accident; all six cylinders were replaced with new cylinders. On September 5, 2005, 141 flight hours before the accident, the airplane had an annual inspection. On July 8, 2006, about three hours before the accident, the engine had maintenance done to its turbocharger.

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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 4,413 hours in all; 3,110 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 4,010 as pilot in command
  • Last flight review: December 1, 2005
  • Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: no injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 4,335 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005; 155.3 hours since
  • Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
  • Seats: 6
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: Teledyne Continental TAIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Departed from: FL17 Niceville FL at 4:30 pm
  • Destination: KMVC Monroeville AL
  • Flight plan: none

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
  • Visibility: 7 statute miles
  • Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
  • Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
  • Observation at 5:55 pm from VPS, 13 miles away

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1
Passengers1

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.