Cessna 210 accident near Sacramento, California, September 20, 2017
On September 20, 2017 at about 8:14 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 210, registered N7330E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sacramento, California (Sacramento Executive 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Partial retraction of the main landing gear during the landing roll for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and functional testing of the gear revealed no anomalies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2017 · about 8:14 pm local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Sacramento Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 F, built 1959 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N7330E · no longer on the register · serial 57030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was occupied by its new owner, a private pilot, and a flight instructor; they had just completed a personal flight. During the landing roll, the main landing gear partially collapsed and the airplane departed the runway surface, resulting in substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. Both pilots gave conflicting statements regarding their roles during the flight but agreed that the landing gear was extended during the landing approach. Postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the landing gear system that would have precluded normal operation, and the gear was successfully extended and retracted multiple times using the gear handle during the examination; therefore, the reason for the partial gear collapse could not be 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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,550 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,981.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2017; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cmi IO-470 (piston); 570 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAC Sacramento CA at 8:10 pm
- Destination: SAC Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,503 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KSAC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 13, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Cessna 210 Owners Manual Excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Site Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.