Cessna 210-5(205) accident near Payson, Utah, October 9, 2008
On October 9, 2008 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 210-5(205), registered N8374Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Payson, Utah. 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 total loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident were a dark night and a cherry orchard at the location where the pilot executed the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2008 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Payson, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5(205) · all 210-5(205)s on the register
- Registration
- N8374Z · no longer on the register · serial 205-0374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route during a cross-country flight of greater than four hours duration, the airplane's engine suddenly stopped. The flight instructor, who was assisted by his student, was not able to get the engine restarted. They therefore executed a night power-off forced landing in what turned out to be a cherry tree orchard. During the investigation, six gallons of fuel was recovered from the right tank, and seven gallons was recovered from the left tank. The engine was test run successfully while being fed through both left and right fuel systems. The entire fuel storage/feed system, including the fuel control unit screen and the fuel manifold screen, was inspected. There were no signs of blockage, anomaly, or contamination that would have kept the engine from producing full power. At the completion of the investigation, no clear reason for the loss of engine power had been determined.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 344 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 280 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 53 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,647 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLRU Las Cruses NM at 9:00 pm
- Destination: KSLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.