Cessna P210N N152BT accident near Hillsboro, Oregon

Probable cause

The on-ground collision with a tree during an off airport precautionary landing. Contributing was the partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was flying the airplane to an airport 7 miles from the departure airport after it had just received an annual inspection when the accident occurred. He reported the airplane was struggling to climb and maintain altitude and, being unsure he would make it to the destination airport, he elected to return to the departure airport. After he verified that the engine controls were at their correct positions, he saw the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) spike on three cylinders. He adjusted the mixture to cool the cylinders but the EGTs remained elevated, so he landed the airplane in an orchard, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizers.

A postaccident engine run and examination of the engine revealed that the right magneto was not operational due to corrosion build-up inside the magneto. A review of the maintenance records revealed that the right magneto was last serviced about 609 hours before the accident; the last 500-hour inspection was completed about 850.7 hours; and the last overhaul was completed 1,386 hours (about 19 years) before the accident, respectively.

It is likely that the inoperable magneto reduced the power output and prevented the pilot from maintaining altitude.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22LA060 for the full record.