Cessna T210N accident near Watsonville, California, September 15, 2017
On September 15, 2017 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna T210N, registered N5391A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Muni airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose gear separation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2017 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N N, built 1979 · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5391A · registry record · serial 21063408
- 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 the landing, the airplane bounced and soon after he felt a "jerk and thump," and the propeller contacted the runway as the airplane slid across the runway with the nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the runway surface revealed markings consistent with a hard landing on the nose landing gear. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain a proper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing on the nose gear and its subsequent separation.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 18, 2017; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO-520-R (piston); 1,447 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVK Livermore CA at 7:10 pm
- Destination: WVI Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 20, 4,501 ft by 149 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 12:30 pm from WVI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR17LA204.