Cessna 210-M accident near Orlando, Florida, July 29, 1994
On July 29, 1994 at about 5:24 pm local time, a Cessna 210-M, registered N761VX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida (Orlando airport). 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
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF A NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR HYDRAULIC LINE BY AN UNKNOWN PERSON THAT BENT IT AT INSTALLATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE LINE ALLOWING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID TO VENT OVERBOARD DISABLING THE NORMAL AND EMERGENCY GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1994 · about 5:24 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · Orlando · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-M · all 210-Ms on the register
- Registration
- N761VX · no longer on the register · serial 62563
- 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
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR ON APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, BUT ONLY THE NOSE GEAR CAME DOWN. HE DIVERTED TO HIS COMPANY BASE AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED ALL EMERGENCY GEAR LOWERING PROCEDURES WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND THE MAINS RETRACTED. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR HYDRAULIC LINE WAS BENT AND HAD FAILED ALLOWING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID TO VENT OVERBOARD. WITHOUT HYDRAULIC FLUID THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR PROCEDURES WILL NOT FUNCTION. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHO INSTALLED THE FAILED LINE.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,400 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 5,200 as pilot in command; 2,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,533 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 1994; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 2:24 pm
- Destination: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:22 pm from ORL
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 N761VX 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.