Cessna T210N accident near Baggs, Wyoming, November 6, 2010
On November 6, 2010 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N6179Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Baggs, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a connecting rod cap retaining bolt during cruise flight, 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
- November 6, 2010 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Baggs, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6179Y · no longer on the register · serial 21064283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, he heard and felt a solid “thump” that seemed to come from the engine compartment. Shortly thereafter, the oil pressure dropped and the engine eventually lost power. The pilot initiated a power-off forced landing on a rough and rutted dirt road. Although the initial touchdown was successful, due to the condition of the road, the pilot was unable to keep the airplane on the road surface, and it entered rough and uneven terrain. The nose of the airplane then dug into the terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The postaccident engine examination found that most of the engine oil had exited through a hole in the crankcase. Further examination found that the No. 1 connecting rod cap retaining bolt failed, ultimately resulting in the separation of the connecting rod from the crankshaft. The damage to the fracture surface on the portion of the retaining bolt that was recovered and the missing remainder of the bolt precluded any determination of bolt failure mode.
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 (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 824 hours in all; 289 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 691 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 6, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,044 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2010
- 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: KBBW Broken Bow NE at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KBMC Brigham City UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.