Cessna P210N accident near Leavenworth, Washington, April 4, 2010
On April 4, 2010 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N3599P, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Leavenworth, Washington. 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the number two cylinder exhaust and intake valves for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2010 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Leavenworth, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3599P · no longer on the register · serial P21000039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in a cruise flight configuration when the engine ceased operating without warning. The pilot made an emergency descent and the airplane collided with a fence while landing in a field. Disassembly of the engine revealed extensive mechanical damage to the number two cylinder combustion chamber and piston assembly. The exhaust valve seat insert was missing and fragments of the insert were later found in the oil sump. The exhaust valve head had separated from the valve stem. The intake valve head had approximately 50 percent of the material separated. The fracture surfaces on the exhaust valve, intake valve and exhaust valve seat were damaged such that the mode of fracture could not be definitively determined. Hardness testing of the components indicted that they were within the manufacturer’s prescribed specifications. The sequence of fractures and separations of components could not 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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- 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 › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,701 hours in all; 624 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,555 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 10, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,175 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 2009; 152 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPAE Everett WA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: KSFF Spokane WA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.