Cessna T210M accident near Groveland, CA

On May 13, 2002, a Cessna T210M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Groveland, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

May 13, 2002

Place

Groveland, CA

Aircraft

Cessna T210M · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

37.839°N, 119.858°W

NTSB ID

20020518X00700

Official records · LAX02FA163

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 13, 2002, at 1355 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N761LX, collided with trees during a forced landing in mountainous terrain near Groveland, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a catastrophic engine failure in cruise. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed by the collision sequence and post crash fire. The personal cross-country flight departed Fullerton, California, about 1130, en route to the airplane's home base in Carson City, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 37 degrees 50.358 minutes north latitude and 119 degrees 51.484 minutes west longitude at an estimated elevation of 4,595 feet. The airplane became the subject of an alert notice (ALNOT) when Oakland (ZOA) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) lost radar and radio contact at 1356. ZOA lost contact 50 miles northeast of Linden, California, at 12,500 feet. Local authorities responded about 1430 to a report of a fire, and discovered the airplane's wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) reviewed recorded radio transmissions by the pilot and air traffic control. The IIC converted all times to Pacific daylight time. The pilot contacted Oakland Center at 1311, and reported level at 12,500 feet en route to Carson City. The pilot made a couple of frequency changes as the airplane changed radar sectors. At 1354, the pilo

Probable cause

a catastrophic engine failure due to the fatigue fracture and failure of the crankshaft. A factor contributing to the accident was the unsuitable nature of the mountainous terrain for a successful forced landing. The precipitating cause of the fatigue fracture could not be determined.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.