On April 9, 2009, a CESSNA T210N (registration N127TC) was involved in an aviation accident near Edinburg, TX. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to select a suitable alternate landing site. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A Cessna T210N, N127TC, crashed into an orange grove near Edinburg, Texas, on April 9, 2009, after the pilot reported engine issues. The pilot was fatally injured, and a post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft.
Accident Overview and Flight History On April 9, 2009, at 0756 central daylight time, a Cessna T210N, registration N127TC, was destroyed when it impacted the ground in an orange grove near Edinburg, Texas. The aircraft was owned and piloted by a private pilot and was conducting a business flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 on a visual flight rules flight plan. The local flight departed McAllen Miller International Airport (KMFE) at 0750 and was en route to Sugarland Regional Airport (KSGR) in Houston, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was fatally injured, and a post-impact fire ensued. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was in radio contact with the Corpus Christi air traffic control tower shortly after departure. At 0752:30, the pilot reported an altitude of 900 feet and was climbing to 5,500 feet. At 0754:40, the pilot reported experiencing engine problems and intended to land in Edinburg. The controller asked for details, and at 0755:20, the pilot stated that the engine rpm would not maintain and that he was losing altitude. At 0756:37, the pilot reported he would not make it to Edinburg, and at 0756:46, he reported he would be on the ground in a problem. No further communications were recorded. Witness statements from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated that the aircraft was observed flying low to the ground 1.7 miles from the initial impact point. One witness noted the engine sounded rough and sputtering, while another described the wings wobbling and the tail low, as if the aircraft was trying to go up. Several witnesses observed the aircraft impact the lines closest to the orange grove. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and instrument ratings, last issued on April 2, 2006. He held a third-class airman medical certificate issued on February 8, 2008, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. His logbook was not located, but an insurance application dated September 8, 2008, indicated he had logged 512.4 total hours, all in a Cessna 210. Documentation from a local pilot showed he completed a flight review in the accident aircraft on October 11, 2008. The accident aircraft, a Cessna T210N with serial number 21063381, was manufactured in 1979 and registered to Dos Aguilas LLC. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520R engine rated at 310 horsepower at 2,700 rpm and equipped with a three-blade, variable pitch Hartzell propeller. The aircraft was maintained under an annual inspection program, with the last annual inspection completed on January 19, 2009, at an airframe total time of 1,250.7 hours. During this inspection, all six engine cylinders were replaced with new ECi brand cylinders, and the engine total time was 853.7 hours. ## Meteorological and Wreckage Information The closest official weather observation station was at McAllen Miller International Airport (KMFE), 15 nautical miles south of the accident site. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) issued at 0753 reported winds from 160 degrees at 12 knots, visibility of 10 miles, clear skies, a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, a dew point of 17 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.75 inches. The wreckage came to rest on an approximate heading of south between two rows of orange trees in a grove with 10 to 11-foot-tall trees and level terrain. The terrain elevation was 68 feet mean sea level. Four separate wire strike locations were documented preceding the main wreckage. The first wire strike was 1.5 miles south of the main wreckage, with wires oriented east/west spanning a north/south water canal, broken at approximately 35 feet above ground level. The second wire strike was 1,433 feet north of the first, with similar wire orientation and height. The third wire strike was 2,632 feet north of the second, located just south of Monte Cristo Road, with a tree exhibiting broken branches preceding the strike. The fourth wire strike was just across the street from the third, just north of Monte Cristo Road and south of the orange grove. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, empennage, engine, and left and right wings. The fuselage, including the main cabin, cargo area, and instrument panel, was charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire. The flight control cables were exposed along the aft portion of the fuselage and empennage. The main landing gear assemblies were tucked under the airplane, consistent with a retracted position. The Kollsman window was set to 29.74. The fuel selector handle and valve were on the left tank, the engine throttle cable and mixture control were in mid-range, and the engine ignition was on both. The right wing was located adjacent to the main wreckage, with the wing spar bent aft and the right wing flap entirely consumed by fire. The left wing was separated from the fuselage but located adjacent to the main wreckage. The outboard leading edge of the left wing exhibited a black witness mark consistent with a wire impact. A 12-inch section of the left wing, approximately 80 inches inboard from the wingtip, had black cables wrapped around it two to three times, with a portion of a fiber optic line loop device located on the bottom of the wing in the same area. The flap actuator jackscrew measured 4.4 inches, consistent with a retracted flap position according to Cessna. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage, with the elevator and rudder cables continuous from the control surfaces to the forward fuselage. The engine and propeller assembly separated partially from the airframe and came to rest adjacent to the main wreckage on the 1/3/5 cylinder side. The propeller blades exhibited chordwise scratches, and the propeller governor was located in a position consistent with low rpm. A gray sludge-type substance was noted on the internal portion of the propeller flange, and a similar substance was observed within the governor and filter screen. The top bank of spark plugs was clean, while the bottom bank was covered in engine oil. The turbocharger blades rotated freely, and the oil filter exhibited clean dark green oil. Several drops of fuel consistent with 100 LL aviation fuel were recovered from the engine-driven fuel pump. Engine compression was noted at all six cylinders, and impulse magneto activation was audibly noted. ## Medical and Pathological Information Valley Forensics P.L.L.C. performed the autopsy on the pilot on April 9, 2009, revealing the cause of death as charring thermal burns with blunt force head trauma. The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performed toxicological testing, which was negative for cyanide, ethanol, and selected drugs. Carbon monoxide at a level of 10 percent was detected in the blood, associated with the post-impact fire. ## Tests and Research The engine was secured and shipped to Mobile, Alabama, for further examination. On April 29, 2009, the engine was examined under the auspices of an NTSB investigator, with representatives from Cessna Aircraft Company and Teledyne Continental Motors present. The examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal engine function prior to the accident. ## Additional Information Surveillance video provided to the NTSB illustrated the arrival and preflight preparations of the pilot. FBO ground personnel towed the airplane to the front of the FBO building at 0728, and the pilot arrived at the airplane at 0733. The pilot extended the wing flaps and walked around the airplane in a manner consistent with conducting a preflight inspection. The pilot left the airplane at 0736 and returned at 0739. The pilot started the engine at 0741 and taxied away from the camera at 0744.