Cessna 210N N4875U

Summary

On 3 August 1994 at about 09:33 local time, a Cessna 210N registered N4875U was involved in an accident near Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 1994 at 09:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Eastern W Virginia Rgnl (MRB)

Coordinates

39.4607, -77.9707

Aircraft

Cessna 210N

Registration

N4875U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tullahoma → Hagerstown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC94FA145

1 person died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE AND PROPER CLIMB DURING THE MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, FOG, AND CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO PILOT FATIGUE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT DIVERTED FROM HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT TO AN ALTERNATE, BECAUSE OF WEATHER. AT THE ALTERNATE AIRPORT, HE MADE AN ILS RUNWAY 26 APPROACH, BUT DUE TO FOG, HE WAS UNABLE TO LAND. HE MADE A MISSED APPROACH & ELECTED TO CONDUCT ANOTHER APPROACH TO THE SAME AIRPORT. HE WAS UNABLE TO LAND AGAIN. DURING A 2ND MISSED APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A ROAD ON THE AIRPORT ABOUT 1400' SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY & WAS DESTROYED. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A HEADING OF 273 DEGREES; THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST ABOUT 775' FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE GEAR, FLAPS, & SPOILERS WERE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION (THE PLANE WAS MODIFIED WITH SPOILERS). A WITNESS (COMMERCIAL PILOT) HEARD THE AIRPLANE & SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS AT FULL POWER & SOUNDED NORMAL. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED VISIBILITY AS 1/4 MILE WITH FOG. THE PILOT HAD WORKED FROM 0800 TO 1730 DURING THE DAY BEFORE REPORTING FOR THE FLIGHT ABOUT 2200. ABOUT 2000 THAT SAME EVENING, HE HAD A TELEPHONE CONVERSTATION WITH A FAMILY MEMBER. DURING THE CONVERSATION, HE DID NOT MENTION ANY PLAN TO SLEEP, ALTHOUGH ONE ITEM OF DISCUSSION WAS THE PLT'S FLIGHT SCHEDULE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 0533 THE NEXT MORNING. THE PILOT WAS ON HIS 2ND FLIGHT & HAD FLOWN ABOUT 6 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. FAMILY MEMBERS STATED THAT HE OFTEN WORKED ALL DAY BEFORE FLYING AT NIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.