- Date
- December 13, 2023, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sapulpa, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6789RCessna T210
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231213020019A
- Case key
- 193524
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The total loss of engine power due to the failure of the left magneto and subsequent damage to a lead for the right magneto.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a road. During the forced landing, the pilot maneuvered to avoid a vehicle, and the airplane landed hard. The right main landing gear and nose landing gear collided with a concrete curb, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. Examination of the engine revealed that the left magneto had overheated, failed, and separated from the engine, resulting in damage to the right magneto’s p-lead. The damage to the right magneto p-lead likely resulted in the grounding of the right magneto and a subsequent total loss of the engine’s ignition source. Due to extensive damage to the left magneto, further testing could not be accomplished and the reason for its failure could not be determined. The magneto was recently rebuilt and installed on the engine before the flight. It could not be determined if this maintenance introduced debris to the internal magneto components.
Factual narrative
On December 13, 2023, about 1730 central standard time, a Cessna T210F airplane, N6789R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The purpose of the flight was to perform an initial break-in of the engine, which had recently been overhauled. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost all power, but the propeller continued windmilling. The pilot attempted to restore engine power but was unsuccessful. Unable to return to the airport, the pilot performed a forced landing to a road, during which the pilot maneuvered to avoid a vehicle and landed hard. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear and nose landing gear collided with a concrete curb, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. A postaccident examination of the engine found that the left magneto had seized and was partially separated from the engine. Impact damage to the right magneto’s p-lead was observed and the right magneto was confirmed to be grounded. Examination of the left magneto found that the internal components were heat damaged and melted. Due to the damage, further testing could not be conducted. The magneto had been rebuilt and installed on the engine during the most recent engine overhaul, which occurred about 1 hour before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6789R
- Reported as
- Cessna T210 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T210-0189
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 3,671
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dan Howard Aircraft Sales LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 2023 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- RVS
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 12,920 total · 2,625 in this make and model · 11,454 as pilot in command · 118 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 0.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 80° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.53 inHg
- Observed at
- KRVS, 3 nm away
- METAR
- KRVS 132353Z 08004KT 10SM CLR 09/M03 A3053 RMK AO2 SLP347 T00891033 10167 20089 51005
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.