Cessna T210N N4873C

Summary

On 14 December 2004 at about 17:32 local time, a Cessna T210N registered N4873C was involved in an accident near Abita Springs, Louisiana, 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

14 December 2004 at 17:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Abita Springs, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

St. Tammany Regional Airport (L31)

Coordinates

30.4444, -89.9936

Aircraft

Cessna T210N

Registration

N4873C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gulfport-Biloxi → Livington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05FA038

2 people died.

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the pilot's improper in-flight emergency planning when he misjudged his available altitude and made a 360 degree turn away from the airport instead of proceeding directly to it, which resulted in him landing over a mile short of the runway in heavily wooded terrain. A factor was the prevailing high wind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 1,483-hour private pilot and a passenger departed on a 308-nautical mile cross-country flight. Approximately 22 minutes after take off, radar data revealed the airplane was headed west at an assigned cruise altitude of 6,000 feet msl. Shortly after, the airplane began a shallow descent and turned northwest toward an uncontrolled airport that was not its original destination. When the airplane was abeam, and south of the airport, it made a 270-degree, descending left-hand turn before it proceeded on a northeast heading toward the airport. Subsequently, the airplane descended into heavily wooded terrain about 1.2-miles southwest of the airport and was destroyed by post-impact fire. The wind was reported from 350 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 19 knots. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuel selector valve was turned off and no mechanical deficiencies were noted with the engine. The pilot's son disclosed that his father had been having problems with water contamination in the fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.