On October 17, 2007, a Cessna 210 (registration N215MD) was involved in an aviation accident near Canon City, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the engine throttle cable resulting in a lack of engine power when commanded. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a training flight, the throttle cable broke on final approach, preventing engine power response. The airplane landed short of the runway in a dirt field, collapsing the nose landing gear and sustaining substantial damage.
Incident Details
During the fourth landing of a training flight, the instructor observed that the aircraft had descended below the glideslope on final approach. When the student advanced the throttle to climb back onto the glideslope, there was no response from the engine. The student then pumped the throttle and activated the electric fuel pump, neither of which restored power. The airplane subsequently touched down in a dirt field approximately 200 feet short of the intended runway. Upon landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airframe sustained substantial damage.
Findings
A post-incident examination of the airplane revealed that the throttle cable was broken. Several areas of the cable exhibited signs of wear. According to the investigation, a broken throttle cable may prevent application of power when commanded. No anomalies were found in the remaining aircraft systems.