Cessna 210G accident near Bessemer, Alabama, January 30, 2008
On January 30, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 210G, registered N5825F, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Bessemer, Alabama (Bessemer Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane before attempting to hand-prop the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bessemer, Alabama · Bessemer Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210G · all 210Gs on the register
- Registration
- N5825F · registry record · serial 21058825
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Cessna 210G was attempting to hand-prop the engine outside his hangar with a passenger in the right seat. During the first attempt, the engine "cranked but stopped." Before the second attempt, the pilot "by mistake increased throttle." Subsequently, when the engine caught, it overpowered the parking brake, and the airplane began to move forward, increasing in speed until it struck another airplane in an open hangar.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Ground collision defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,434 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKY Bessemer AL
- Destination: N/A
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.