Cessna 210E accident near Auburn, Washington, August 12, 2008
On August 12, 2008 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 210E, registered N98KC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Auburn, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A catastrophic engine failure due to the partial blockage of the lubricating oil galley in one of the crankshaft connecting rod journals, leading to the failure of the connecting rod cap.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2008 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Auburn, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210E · all 210Es on the register
- Registration
- N98KC · registry record · serial 21058703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the descent to the pilot's planned destination, the airplane's engine lost all power, and he was forced to make an emergency landing in a nearby open field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted an irrigation pipe and nosed over onto its back. The nose over sequence resulted in the buckling of the fuselage and the crushing of the top one foot of the vertical stabilizer. A post-accident partial engine disassembly determined that the oil galley in the number four crankshaft connecting rod journal had became partially blocked by unidentified debris. That blockage resulted in insufficient lubrication of the number four connecting rod bearing, and the ultimate thermal destruction of the bearing. The destruction of the bearing resulted in direct contact between the connecting rod and the crankshaft journal, ultimately leading to the failure of the connecting rod cap due to thermal distress. The failure of the connecting rod cap resulted in the release of the connecting rod from the crankshaft journal, the internal failure of the engine, and the total loss of power.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid management
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 706 hours in all; 493 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2008
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBNO Burns OR
- Destination: S50 Auburn WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.