Cessna T210K accident near Los Alamos, New Mexico, October 24, 2020
On October 24, 2020 at about 2:10 am local time, a 1969 Cessna T210K, registered N8251M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Los Alamos, New Mexico (Los Alamos 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
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in the airplane landing with the landing gear retracted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2020 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Los Alamos, New Mexico · Los Alamos Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210K, built 1969 · all T210Ks on the register
- Registration
- N8251M · no longer on the register · serial 21059251
- 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 while working on night currency and flying from the right seat, he did not verify the landing gear was extended before landing. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted and slid about 1,200 ft down the runway before it came to a stop. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 4,738 hours in all; 3,253 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 5, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,933 hours in all; 143 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 16, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,165.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520H1B (piston); 3,340 hours total
- Operator: Traveler Holdings LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,000 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 14 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from KLAM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2021. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos - View of Damage | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8251M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.