Cessna P210N accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, December 9, 2021
On December 9, 2021 at about 11:44 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna P210N, registered N152BT, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hillsboro, Oregon (Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The on-ground collision with a tree during an off airport precautionary landing. Contributing was the partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2021 · about 11:44 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Stark'S Twin Oaks Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N, built 1980 · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N152BT · registry record · serial P21000486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying the airplane to an airport 7 miles from the departure airport after it had just received an annual inspection when the accident occurred. He reported the airplane was struggling to climb and maintain altitude and, being unsure he would make it to the destination airport, he elected to return to the departure airport. After he verified that the engine controls were at their correct positions, he saw the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) spike on three cylinders. He adjusted the mixture to cool the cylinders but the EGTs remained elevated, so he landed the airplane in an orchard, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizers. A postaccident engine run and examination of the engine revealed that the right magneto was not operational due to corrosion build-up inside the magneto. A review of the maintenance records revealed that the right magneto was last serviced about 609 hours before the accident; the last 500-hour inspection was completed about 850.7 hours; and the last overhaul was completed 1,386 hours (about 19 years) before the accident, respectively. It is likely that the inoperable magneto reduced the power output and prevented the pilot from maintaining altitude.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Inoperative
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Owner/builder
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 748 hours in all; 402 in this make and model; 16.5 in the last 90 days; 3.9 in the last 30 days; 589 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 23, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,619.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 9, 2021; 0.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P (piston); 1,386 hours total
- Operator: Coho Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 7S3 Hillsboro OR at 11:37 pm
- Destination: HIO Hillsboro OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on April 3, 2024. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Post Accident Exam Notes | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Materials Lab | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Magneto Maintenance and Overhaul Excerpt | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Logbook Entries | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Wreckage | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 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.