# NTSB ATL03LA045: Cessna P210N, N6ZZ, Bolivar, TN, February 13, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 12, 2003, 21:20 local (Feb 13, 2003, 03:20 UTC) - Place: Bolivar, TN - Coordinates: 35.214443, -89.043334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2144&lon=-89.0433&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report September 1, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Memphis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56486 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL03LA045 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56486/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56486 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03LA045 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - reason for occurrence undetermined - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) ## Analysis According to the pilot during cruise flight at 6000 feet, the engine power began to decrease. The engine continued to run but was not producing full power. Repeated efforts by the pilot to restore full engine power failed. The pilot radioed Memphis Approach control, and reported an in-flight emergency due to an engine failure. The controller issued the pilot radar vectors to William L. Whitehurst Field, Bolivar, Tennessee. The airplane collided with trees five miles south of the airport. Examination of the airplane revealed that it was heavily fire damaged. There were no abnormalities discovered during the examination of the engine. ## Factual narrative On February 12, 2003, at 2120 central standard time, a Cessna P210N, N6ZZ, registered to a private owner and operated by a commercial pilot reported an in-flight emergency due to an engine failure while enroute to Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The pilot made a forced landing onto unsuitable terrain. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and the passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from Greenville Downtown Airport, Greenville, South Carolina on February 12, 2003, eastern standard time, at 1848. According to the pilot during cruise flight at 6000 feet, the engine power began to decrease. The pilot checked the quantity of the fuel tanks, and fuel was present. According to the pilot the engine continued to run but was not producing full power. Repeated efforts by the pilot to restore full engine power failed. The pilot radioed Memphis Approach control, and reported an in-flight emergency due to an engine failure. The controller issued the pilot radar vectors to William L. Whitehurst Field, Bolivar, Tennessee. The airplane collided with trees in a heavily wooded area 5 miles south of the airport, and there was a post-crash fire. Examination of the airplane revealed the airplane was heavily fire damaged. Examination of the engine was conducted at Teledyne Continental Motors, Inc. on October 29, 2003, with FAA and NTSB representatives present. There were no abnormalities discovered during the examination of the engine. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6ZZ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6ZZ-2003-06-18), registration cancelled 2003-06-18, S/N P21000558, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna P210N - Registry model: [Cessna P210N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-p210n) (registry code 2073454) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: P21000558 - Airframe hours: 2600 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520 SER 310 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Joseph Henry Schaffer III - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 2002 - Departed: GMU, GREENVILLE, SC - Destination: MEM, MEMPHIS, TN - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: M08, William L. Whitehurst Field ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review April 26, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 1,049 total, 43 in this make and model, 981 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 32 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 30.31 inHg - Observed at: MKL, 23 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030213037679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030213037679A), Feb 13, 2003: Cessna P210N, Bolivar, TN, Destroyed. (-23) According to the pilot while at cruise flight at 6000 feet the engine power decreased as if the throttle had been pulled to idle. The pilot checked the… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 18, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56486. 242 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 242 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40213649&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.