CEN25LA317

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna P210 · Zapata, TX · August 13, 2025

Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary report
Date
August 13, 2025, 18:35 local (23:35 UTC)
Place
Zapata, TX
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N92MSCessna P210
Defining event
Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20250813010379A
Case key
200779

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On August 13, 2025, about 1835 central daylight time, a Cessna P210N airplane, N92MS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Zapata, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot reported that the flight was normal until he turned the airplane to return back to the McAllen International Airport, McAllen, Texas. During the return, he felt a severe vibration from the engine and noticed a partial loss of engine power. The engine instruments displayed 0 inches of manifold pressure, high oil temperature, low oil pressure, and high temperatures on the No. 4 and 5 cylinders. While diverting to the Zapata County Airport, Zapata, Texas, the engine lost total power, and the pilot was unable to glide the airplane to the runway. He then performed an off-field landing on a dirt road. During the landing roll on the dirt road, the airplane’s left wing collided with a tree, turning the airplane to the left into a tree line. Both wings sustained substantial damage. The airplane was retained for further investigation.

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.

Aircraft

Registration
N92MS
Reported as
Cessna P210 (N)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
P21000689
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Cil N92ms LLC
Registered owner
Cil N92ms LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
KMFE · McAllen, TX
Destination
KLRD · Laredo, TX
Flight plan
VFR
Equipment
ADS-B, Data recorder

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.

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
110° at 11 knots, gusting 17
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
102 °F, dew point 59 °F
Altimeter
29.82 inHg
Observed at
KAPY, 2 nm away
METAR
KAPY 132335Z AUTO 11011G17KT 060V130 10SM SCT095 39/15 A2982 RMK AO2 T03930145

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.