Cessna T210M N761FM
2 July 1997 · Kerrville, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 July 1997 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna T210M registered N761FM, operated by Clyde F. Sanford III, was involved in an accident near Kerrville, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kerrville, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Kerrville Municipal (ERV)
- Coordinates
- 30.0409, -99.1299
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M
- Registration
- N761FM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Clyde F. Sanford III
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Tyler
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW97LA246
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The disintegration of the #1 cylinder piston resulting from a detonation/pre-ignition condition due to an unknown reason. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was on its climb to cruise when the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing short of the runway in rough and uneven terrain. An examination of the engine revealed that the #1 cylinder piston was seized in the cylinder, the piston rings were broken, the piston head was deteriorated around the edge down to the top compression ring with a portion of the ring missing, metal was deposited on the intake valve seat, and the intake valve was stuck in the open position. The #1 cylinder dome was damaged and scaring was noted on the cylinder walls. Aluminum particles were found in the #1 cylinder spark plugs and embedded in the #1 cylinder combustion chamber and internal components of the engine. According to the manufacturer, no discrepancies were found with the engine components that 'would have caused detonation/preignition to [the] number 1 cylinder.' The cylinder met the SAE chemistry requirements. The manufacturer's metallurgist stated that 'the burning of the piston crown most likely is the result of either detonation or pre-ignition.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna T210M accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1997 | Cessna T210M | Bullfrog, Utah, United States | Sweitzer, Robert, S. | Fatal | 4 |
| 29 Aug 1997 | Cessna T210M | San Martin, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1996 | Cessna T210M | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1996 | Cessna T210M | Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1998 | Cessna T210M | McAllen, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1996 | Cessna T210M | Everett, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1997 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | El Indio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Cessna 182Q | Sugar Land, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Whitewright, Texas, United States | Centerline Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1997 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Edna, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Cessna 152 | Gorman, Texas, United States | Spencer Jones | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1997 | Cessna 152 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Bridgeport Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |