Cessna 210M accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, November 30, 1991
On November 30, 1991 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 210M, registered N9064M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PLACEMENT OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND RESULTING IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS AN INCORRECT FUEL QUANTITY GAGE, THE DARK NIGHT CONDITION, AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 1991 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9064M · registry record · serial 21062057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPX 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF DURING CRUISE FLT, THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE PLT REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR & ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENG BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT WHILE ON A DARK NIGHT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES, THEN THE GROUND & CAME TO REST. THE LT FUEL TANK WAS DRAINED WHICH REVEALED THAT IT CONTAINED APPX 7 GALS OF FUEL. THE RT FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS NOT DAMAGED, WAS EMPTY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SIPHONING THROUGH THE FUEL CAPS. THE RT WING FUEL VENT WAS EXAMINED & FOUND TO BE BLOCKED BY AN UNK OBJECT BUT BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD VENTED FUEL CAPS INSTALLED. BOTH CAPS OPS CHECKED GOOD. THE ENG WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT ACFT & PLACED ON ANOTHER ACFT FOR AN ENG RUN. THE ENG WAS STARTED AND FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE PLT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE LOSS OF POWER, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LT TANK.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,266 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 2,234 as pilot in command; 1,202 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 22, 1991; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cherokee Express Air Cargo
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 1:55 am
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N9064M 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.