Cessna 210M accident near Opa Locka, Florida, August 21, 1996
On August 21, 1996 at about 4:45 am local time, a Cessna 210M, registered N732ST, was substantially damaged in an accident near Opa Locka, 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
the pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, a forced landing, and subsequent in flight collision with terrain. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1996 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Opa Locka, Florida · map
- 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
- N732ST · registry record · serial 21061744
- 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 stated he was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet, when the engine quit. He said that he moved the fuel selector from the left main tank to the right main tank and attempted two engine restarts, which were unsuccessful. A forced landing was made in the Everglades. Visual examination of the left fuel tank revealed no fuel and the fuel cap was tight. Fuel was present in the right fuel tank and the fuel cap was tight. The wings were not damaged and no fuel leaks were observed. Review of aircraft log books revealed no discrepancies relating to fuel quantity indications or fuel flow discrepancies. The airplane was recovered and the wings were reinstalled to provide a pressurized system for an engine test run. The engine started and was operated for 17 minutes.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,661 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 1,532 as pilot in command; 950 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,889 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1996; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L7B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 3:45 am
- Destination: OPF FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:49 am from OPF, 20 miles away
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.
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.