Cessna T210M accident near Apopka, Florida, October 4, 1995
On October 4, 1995 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna T210M, registered N6508B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apopka, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PERFORM FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1995 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Apopka, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N6508B · registry record · serial 21062777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT PERFORM ANY FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATION BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE FLIGHT. HE ESTIMATED HE HAD ABOUT 1 INCH TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF FUEL PRESENT IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS, AND ADDED 10 GALLONS OF FUEL TO EACH FUEL TANK. HE FLEW TO HIS INTERMEDIATE STOP, PICKED UP HIS PASSENGER, AND DEPARTED FOR HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. UPON LEVELING THE AIRPLANE AT 1,800 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED THE BOOST PUMP ON HIGH. THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT AND HE TURNED THE BOOST PUMP OFF. ABOUT 3 MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN AND HE REPEATED THE SAME STEPS WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO THE ONLY AVAILABLE LANDING AREA, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A FENCE POST. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM BY THE FAA REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT RUPTURED. ONE PINT OF FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE PILOT STATED, 'I MADE A MISTAKE OF TRUSTING THE FUEL GAGES AND RAN THE AIRPLANE 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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 4,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEE Leesburg FL at 3:48 pm
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ORL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA96LA002.