Cessna P210R N55MM

Summary

On 1 March 1994 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna P210R registered N55MM, operated by Weiser, Joel J., was involved in an accident near Bay Minette, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 1994 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bay Minette, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

30.8795, -87.7697

Aircraft

Cessna P210R

Registration

N55MM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Weiser, Joel J.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Orleans → Sarasota

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL94FA056

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND THE AIRPLANE, FAILURE OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP, PARTIAL LOSS OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM, AND AN INOPERATIVE ATTITUDE INDICATOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT RECEIVED A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE THE IFR FLIGHT. CONVECTIVE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS FORECAST FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AFTER LEVELING AT FL210, HE REPORTED THAT CONDITIONS WERE 'GETTING ROUGH.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT GYRO SYSTEM, THEN SAID ALL GYRO'S WERE 'OUT.' HE ELECTED TO DESCEND IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE VFR WEATHER. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND DISTRIBUTED OVER AN AREA ABOUT 4-1/2 MILES IN LENGTH. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE WINGS HAD FAILED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. DURING AN EXAM OF THE VACUUM POWERED ATTITUDE GYRO, NO ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING WAS FOUND ON THE GYRO OR IN THE GYRO HOUSING. AN EXAM OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP REVEALED THAT THE PLASTIC DRIVE COUPLING HAD SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS & MELTING, THAT THE INTERNAL VEINS WERE BROKEN & CRACKED & THAT THERE WAS A DEPOSIT OF CARBON MATERIAL INSIDE THE HOUSING. THE RIGHT VACUUM PUMP HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING. THE GYROS SHOULD HAVE OPERATED WITH 1 VACUUM PUMP IN OPERATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.