Cessna 210L N732ER

Summary

On 8 May 2000 at about 18:50 local time, a Cessna 210L registered N732ER was involved in an accident near Mack, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 2000 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Mack, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2206, -108.8699

Aircraft

Cessna 210L

Registration

N732ER

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Junction → Vernal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00FA144

2 people died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors were the mountain obscuration and the rising terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument rated pilot received 3 weather briefings and waited 3 hours for weather to improve before departing on a VFR flight. According to witnesses, the mountain tops in the vicinity of the pilot's route of flight were obscured by clouds. The pilot told the witnesses that he was concerned with the freezing level and therefore wanted to stay VFR. The pilot told the FSS weather briefer that he was trying to stay out of icing conditions and the lower he flew the better. The pilot filed a flight plan that had an intended route of flight along a victor airway at VFR altitudes. Radar data depicted the accident airplane climbing to a maximum altitude of 8,700 feet msl and heading northwest on course before radar contact was lost. The radar altitude data was overlaid on topographical data and revealed the terrain rising to meet the airplane's last radar altitude return. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain at 8,736 feet msl. Weather reports along the route of flight depict cloud bases initiating approximately 7,300 feet msl. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation of the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.