Cessna 210M incident near Lutz, Florida, January 5, 1991
On January 5, 1991 at about 4:25 am local time, a Cessna 210M, registered N823AR, suffered minor damage in an incident near Lutz, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
FUEL LINE CHAFING, AND IN-FLIGHT FIRE CAUSED BY SHORTING OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING WITH THE LANDING GEAR NOT EXTENDED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 1991 · about 4:25 am local time
- Place
- Lutz, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N823AR · no longer on the register · serial 21062661
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 1,000 FT, THE PLT REPORTED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE & PARTIAL LOSS OF ENG POWER. HE WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR USING THE NORMAL & EMERGENCY METHOD DUE TO HYDRAULIC FLUID LOSS FROM FIRE DAMAGED HYDRAULIC LINES. WITH THE GEAR OFF THE UPLOCKS BUT NOT DOWN & LOCKED, THE PLT LANDED THE ACFT ON A ROAD. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT A FUEL LINE WHICH EXITS THE FUEL STRAINER LOCATED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL WELL HAD A PIN-SIZE HOLE DUE TO CHAFING OF AN ELECTRICAL WIRE BUNDLE WHICH CROSSES THE LINE. AS A RESULT, THE INSULATION COVERING THE WIRES WAS DAMAGED & FUEL WHICH CONTACTED THE WIRES WAS IGNITED.
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: 3,300 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,856 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 20, 1990; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 520L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 4:10 am
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 am from TPA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N823AR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.