Cessna P210N accident near Bountiful, Utah, February 23, 2014
On February 23, 2014 at about 9:05 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna P210N, registered N18DP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Bountiful, Utah (Skypark Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation due to the in-flight loosening of the fuel lines attached to the fuel flow indicator as a result of inadequate maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2014 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Skypark Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N, built 1978 · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N18DP · registry record · serial P21000086
- 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 the accident flight was the first flight in the airplane since its annual inspection, which occurred about 6 weeks before the accident. He conducted a thorough preflight inspection and run-up. Before takeoff, he added full power with the brakes applied, and, after noting no abnormal engine or instrument indications, he took off. When the airplane reached about 150 to 200 ft above the ground, the engine started to run roughly. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, so the pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing, the airplane sunk into the mud and nosed over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel lines connected to the input and output of the fuel flow indicator were loose and leaking. After these lines were tightened about 1.5 turns and pressure was applied, a third leak was found in the vicinity of a metal label on the fuel line between the fuel manifold and the fuel pressure gauge. The aircraft manufacturer's service manual states that the engine compartment rubber hoses must be replaced every 5 years or at engine overhaul, whichever occurs first. According to the airplane's maintenance logbook, the most recent engine overhaul occurred about 18 years before the accident. The mechanic who conducted the annual inspection reported that, during the inspection, he removed the fuel lines to and from the engine-mounted fuel flow transducer to troubleshoot a lack of indicated fuel pressure at the cockpit-mounted instrument. It is likely that the mechanic failed to adequately tighten the fuel lines when he reinstalled them.
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
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel flow indicating › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Time limits › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,810 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 1,457 as pilot in command; 680 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 24, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2014; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO520P (1B) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTF Bountiful UT at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 36U Heber UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SLC, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14LA118.