Cessna T210N accident near Covington, Georgia, February 23, 1998
On February 23, 1998 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N1734U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Georgia (Covington Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and/or improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Soft/wet terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1998 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Georgia · Covington Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1734U · registry record · serial 21064735
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot experienced a total loss of engine power and made a forced landing in a grassy field. During touch down, the nose wheel sheared off, the nose strut dug into soft terrain, and the airplane nosed-over. FAA investigators found empty fuel tanks and no evidence of fuel spillage. The pilot stated, in part, 'I do believe it was fuel exhaustion...'
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1997; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft Lauderdale FL at 2:30 pm
- Destination: RYY Marietta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:27 pm from AHN, 31 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.
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 MIA98LA083.