Cessna 210L N30891

Summary

On 26 December 1996 at about 01:15 local time, a Cessna 210L registered N30891 was involved in an accident near Brackettville, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 December 1996 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Brackettville, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.3103, -100.4091

Aircraft

Cessna 210L

Registration

N30891

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Del Rio → Austin

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW97FA073

2 people died.

failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude and/or clearance from terrain, while on a cross-country flight at night. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, the prevailing low ceilings, and mountainous/hilly terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted the northwest facing slope of a ridge at an elevation of 1,950 feet MSL, while configured for cruise flight. This occurred as the noninstrument-rated private pilot was returning home on a night VFR flight over hilly and sparsely populated terrain. Low ceilings prevailed throughout the area. The pilot's instructor stated that the pilot knew the area well, and that he was aware of the rising terrain. The flight instructor recalled that he talked to the pilot on the afternoon of the accident, and after discussing the worsening weather conditions, he encouraged the pilot to stay in Del Rio that night. The pilot was in real estate business. The flight instructor believed the pilot felt pressured to get home that evening, because he had a nine o'clock appointment the next morning in Austin to inspect a property that he had sold. The flaps and landing gear were found in the retracted position. The elevator trim was found in the neutral position. No evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.