Cessna 210A N9462X

Summary

On 28 May 2001 at about 18:49 local time, a Cessna 210A registered N9462X was involved in an accident near Escondido, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2001 at 18:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Escondido, California, United States

Nearest airport

Ramona (RMN)

Coordinates

33.1298, -116.9796

Aircraft

Cessna 210A

Registration

N9462X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ramona → Fresno

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01FA194

3 people died.

the pilot's spatial disorientation and lack of instrument flight proficiency that resulted in a loss of directional control and the airplane's subsequent in-flight collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane departed the Ramona airport approximately 1140. It was radar identified by the air traffic controller, who then instructed the pilot to climb and maintain 6,000 feet msl. The controller told the pilot to make a left turn and proceed to the Oceanside VOR. The pilot acknowledged the instructions. The airplane then made a right turn to a heading of approximately 040 degrees at 4,300 feet msl. The controller requested that the pilot fly a heading of 270 degrees and to climb to 7,000 feet msl. The pilot acknowledged the radar vector. The airplane then made a steep 320-degree turn to the left, stopping on a heading of approximately 360 degrees at an altitude of 4,800 feet msl. The controller asked the pilot to continue his right turn to a heading of 290 degrees for radar vectors to victor airway 186. Then the controller asked the pilot to say altitude. A response from another pilot onboard the airplane said, "standby, we're in a little trouble here." The controller made two subsequent calls to the accident airplane. The pilot-in-command replied, "uh, six two x-ray standby a second." The controller issued a warning that the airplane was heading for higher terrain and instructed the pilot to turn left and climb. There was no response from the pilot. The airplane began a steep left turn from an altitude of 4,700 feet msl and turned left to a heading of approximately 180 degrees, descending from 4,700 feet msl to 2,500 feet msl, and then back up to 3,100 feet msl. At 1148:39, radar contact was lost with the airplane. According to the pilot's logbook, he had logged a total of 12.6 hours in 1999, 5.6 hours in 2000, and 11.5 hours in 2001. For the 3 years indicated, he had logged a total of 0.7 hours in instrument meteorological conditions. There was no evidence of an instrument proficiency check having been completed within the 12 calendar months prior to the accident. No instrument flight experience had been logged within the 12 calendar months preceding the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.