Cessna T210 accident near Fiilmore, California, October 27, 2018
On October 27, 2018 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna T210, registered N6834R, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fiilmore, California (Santa Paula airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power as a result of the pilot’s failure to remove a towel from the engine’s air induction following maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2018 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fiilmore, California · Santa Paula · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 G, built 1966 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N6834R · no longer on the register · serial T210-0234
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, after a normal departure, he climbed the airplane to a cruise altitude about 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and configured it for cruise flight. Thereafter, the engine experienced a sudden total loss of power. Despite his attempts to troubleshoot the failure, he could not restart the engine and performed a forced landing in a dry riverbed. After touchdown, the nose landing gear impacted a rock and collapsed, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination revealed a cloth towel blocking the turbocharger inlet tube that had become entangled with the turbocharger compressor wheel. The towel likely blocked the inlet air from reaching the cylinders, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The pilot stated that during the last oil change, about 34 flight hours before the accident, he removed the airbox and placed a towel in the inlet scat tubing (not disconnected) in an effort to protect the turbocharger from foreign object damage.
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 initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Turbocharging (recip only) › Turbocharger › Damaged/degraded
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,745 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 2018; 84.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C(2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SZP Santa Paula CA at 5:40 pm
- Destination: L45 Bakersfield CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KSZP, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on March 9, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Notes | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Jpi Data | data file | Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | 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.