The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Cessna 210 Engine Separates After Takeoff
Pilot survives accident in Louisiana after aircraft's engine breaks away in flight.
A Cessna 210 went down shortly after takeoff from Louisiana Regional Airport in Gonzales, Louisiana, Tuesday morning after its engine separated completely from the aircraft.
According to local WAFB, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre confirmed that the engine detached before the airplane went down into a nearby field. The 74-year-old pilot survived with minor injuries.
Engine Found Away From Wreckage
Gonzales Fire Chief Preston Landry told WBRZ that emergency crews discovered the aircraft upside down approximately half a mile from the runway. The engine was located roughly 100 yards from the main wreckage, on a nearby road. Responders arrived around 6 a.m. and found the pilot walking around the crash site.
FlightAware tracking data indicated that the aircraft departed shortly before 5 a.m. and that the recorded flight lasted less than a minute.
[Credit: Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office]
Cause Under Investigation
Authorities have not yet established what caused the engine to separate. Likewise, potential problems involving the engine mounting structure or attachment hardware have not been confirmed. The pilot suffered a minor cut to his head, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.