Cessna 210 accident near Romona, California, June 10, 2019
On June 10, 2019 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 210, registered N3997Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Romona, California (Ramona 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
A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of the failure of an oil filter adapter fiber gasket.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2019 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Romona, California · Ramona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 D, built 1964 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N3997Y · no longer on the register · serial 21058497
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane engine’s rpm became erratic, and the pilot decided to divert. About 5 miles from the intended airport, the airplane began to shake, and the pilot made an off-airport landing. Postaccident examination revealed several holes in the engine crankcase. The oil filter adapter was found loose, and the fiber gasket was protruding beyond the castings. Removal of the oil filter adapter revealed that the fiber gasket had torn. The failure of the fiber gasket allowed oil to exit the engine, resulting in oil starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power. During postaccident testing, the gasket failure in the accident adapter could not be replicated, and the reason for the failure could not be determined. The testing did reveal that the adapters were difficult to install properly and that, when the proper torque was achieved, the adapter housing could still be rotated about its hub when manual pressure was applied, indicating that the housing was loose. In response to this accident investigation, the supplemental type certificate holder issued a service bulletin that stated that the adapter should be inspected for oil leakage and gasket damage. The service bulletin also provided detailed instructions to eliminate rotation of the housing during installation and identify rotation after installation. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an airworthiness directive that requires operators to replace the oil filter adapter fiber gasket with a copper gasket to prevent an engine power loss due to oil starvation.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 23, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,748 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 2019; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-FCA (piston); 1,628 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE San Diego/El Cajon CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SEE San Diego/El Cajon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from KRNM, 1 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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 23, 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, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Material Support Summary | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Safety Alert for Operations (Safo) | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Airworthiness Directive | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Oil Filter Adapter Research | PDF, 31 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Videos of Installing Adapter | zip file | Download |
| 8 | Photograph Array - Macro Images of the Gasket and Hub | PDF, 8 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.