# Accident 19961220039799A: Cessna T210M, Lexington, KY, December 20, 1996 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 20, 1996, 21:00 local time - Place: Lexington, KY - Airport: Blue Grass - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.0698° N, 84.5803° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0698&lon=-84.5803&mi=10 - Aircraft: N732UH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N732UH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna T210M (registry code 2073451, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210m) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA T210M - Reported engine: CONT TSIO520R - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,775 total, 56 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA035) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961220039799A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4)ON DECEMBER 20, 1996, ABOUT 2100 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA T210M,N732UH WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY, AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH TWO VEHICLES IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. THE TWO PILOTS AND TWO PASSENGERS ON THE AIRPLANE WERE NOT INJURED, WHILE A THIRD PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE TWO VEHICLES WERE NOT INJURED. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AT 1847. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE OWNER HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, OCCUPIED THE LEFT SEAT, AND WAS OPERATING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. A COMMERCIAL RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. THE OWNER REPORTED THAT THEY WERE CRUISING AT 11,000 FEET, 15 TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON, WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND A PARTIAL POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE OWNER ADVISED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, AND REQUESTED TO LAND AT THE BLUE GRASS AIRPORT IN LEXINGTON. ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER AND THE PILOT POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE FOR A FORCED LANDING TO A DIVIDED HIGHWAY. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER THE TOP OF A POWER LINE, AND THEN WENT UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TWO VEHICLES MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE AIRPLANE, AND THEN CAME TO REST ON THE HIGHWAY. BOTH PILOTS REPORTED THAT OIL WAS VISIBLE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EXAMINED BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, WHO REPORTED THAT A HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE TOP OF THE CRANKCASE NEAR THE NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER. FUTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE NUMBER FOUR CONNECTING ROD CAP WAS SEPARATED FROM THE CONNECTING ROD WHICH DISCONNECTED THE ROD FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. THE ENGINE WAS SHIPPED TO TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS (TCM), MOBIL, ALABAMA, FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED FOR THE SAFETY BOARD BY A FAA INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO TCM. ACCORDING THE TCM REPORT: "...CRANKCASE MAIN BEARINGS EXHIBITED OIL STARVATION SIGNATURES...NUMBER 5 EXHAUST VALVE, PART NUMBER SA643873 BROKEN IN THE TRANSITION OF THE HEAD TO THE VALVE STEM...COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF FRACTURE DUE TO EXTREME IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE FRACTURED SURFACES." THE NUMBER 4 EXHAUST GUIED, PART NUMBER SA636242 WAS BROKEN JUST BELOW THE FLANGE THAT SEATS THE GUIDE INTO THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE FRACTURE EXHIBITED FATIGUE..." "NUMBER 5 INTAKE VALVE, PART NUMBER SA539988 HEAD WAS PARTIALLY BROKEN UP. MOST PIECES OF THE VALVE HEAD WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE FRACTURE OF THIS VALVE APPEARS ALL OVERLOAD DUE TO IMPACT WITH DEBRIS INSIDE THE CYLINDER." (-23) ENROUTE BHM TO 22G PILOT EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL POWER LOSS 10 MILES NE OF LEX. REQUESTED DIVERSION TO LEX. 5 MILES NE OF LEX ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON NEW CIRCLE HIGHWAY DUE TO UNABLE TO MAKE AIRPORT. DURING FINAL PILOT NOTICED OVERPASS, DUE TO UNABLE TO FLY OVER, PILOT DECIDED TO GO UNDER. WHILE LANDING A/C STRUCK TWO VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY. LANDING GEAR (MAIN) FOLDED AFT ON IMPACT WITH VEHICLES. A/C LANDED SAFELY ON BELLY. NO INJURIES TO THE PEOPLE IN THE A/C OR VEHICLES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC97LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA035), Dec 21, 1996: Cessna T210M (N732UH), Lexington, KY, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of #5 exhaust valve and/or #5 exhaust valve guide, which resulted in a progressive engine failure (debris puncturing the #5 piston crown, exhaust gasses entering the crankcase, loss of oil… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.