Cessna P210N accident near Black Diamond, Washington, September 10, 1995
On September 10, 1995 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N3674P, was destroyed in an accident near Black Diamond, Washington. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper maintenance which led to oil starvation due to a inadequately tightened B-nut in an oil line. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1995 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Black Diamond, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3674P · no longer on the register · serial P21000047
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot advised Air Traffic Control that his aircraft had sustained a loss of power while he was engaged in aerial photography operations over mountainous terrain near Mt. Rainier. He elected to attempt to glide from over 10,500 feet above sea level to an airstrip suggested by ATC as a possible forced landing site. During the descent the engine lost total power. The aircraft crashed into trees on the north side of a river with a paved road along its south shore, and within about a mile of an abandoned airstrip. Disassembly and inspection of the engine revealed internal failure due to oil starvation. A B-nut on an oil line to the turbocharger was found to be loose. Maintenance records showed that this oil line had been subject to recent maintenance by company personnel.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,600 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 169 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 8,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1995; 290 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: EUG Eugene OR at 4:30 pm
- Destination: OR78 Harrisburg OR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from SEA
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.