Cessna T210L N93110

Summary

On 25 October 1989 at about 13:30 local time, a Cessna T210L registered N93110 was involved in an accident near Penasco, New Mexico, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 October 1989 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Penasco, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.1709, -105.6907

Aircraft

Cessna T210L

Registration

N93110

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Alamos → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN90FA013

2 people died.

IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN (AND/OR UNDERSTAND) WIND ALOFT INFORMATION, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE TYPE OF OPERATION (MOUNTAIN FLYING), A DOWNDRAFT, AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & PASSENGERS WERE ON A PERSONAL SIGHTSEEING FLT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF THE PLT RECEIVING A WX BRIEFING OR A FORECAST OF WINDS ALOFT. THE WINDS AT 9000 & 12,000 FT WERE FORECAST TO VARY BETWEEN 200 & 210 DEG AT 25 KTS. THE PLT SAID HE HAD NOT FLOWN IN MTNS AROUND PENASCO, EXCEPT TO FLY OVER THEM AT HIGH ALTITUDE.WHILE FLYING ON AN EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING, NORTH OF JICARITA PEAK, THE ACFT HIT TREES, CRASHED & BURNED ON RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 11,500 FT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. TWO WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT BEFORE IT CRASHED. ONE SAID IT WAS FLYING SVRL HUNDRED FT ABOVE THE TREELINE, THE OTHER ESTIMATED IT WAS AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL. BOTH HEARD THE ENG 'REV UP' BEFORE THE ACDNT. ONE WITNESS NOTED A STORM WAS APCHG IN THE DISTANCE. THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS IN A CLIMB AT 130 TO 140 KTS, WHEN IT BEGAN DSCNDG. HE COULD NOT RECALL THE ACDNT, BUT AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS LEVELED BEFORE IT HIT TREES ON ABOUT 5 DEG RISING TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.