Cessna 210 accident near Redding, California, April 25, 2026
On April 25, 2026 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 210, registered N6130F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Redding, California (Benton Fld 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 pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distraction and his failure to conduct the before landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2026 · about 6:45 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Redding, California · Benton Fld · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 H, built 1968 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N6130F · registry record · serial 21059030
- 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 he became distracted by converging traffic and the short runway while entering the traffic pattern. During the approach, he did not complete his before-landing checklist or extend the landing gear. He stated that because the engine rpm remained above the landing gear warning horn activation threshold during the approach, the horn did not sound. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted and slid to rest on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated other cases naming the landing gear
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,504 hours in all; 2,365 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,340 as pilot in command; 829 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 23, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2025; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO520 A (piston); 1,234 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GOO Grass Valley CA at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 2,420 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from KRDD, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KRDD 241853Z 17004KT 10SM CLR 19/07 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP118 T01940072
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6130F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 210 Centurion 1,525 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO520 A 8 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Benton Field · nearest airport
- Nevada County · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,158 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR26LA171.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.