Cessna T210N N5431C

Summary

On 8 December 2007 at about 20:16 local time, a Cessna T210N registered N5431C, operated by Henry D. Garretson, was involved in an accident near Bloomfield, Kentucky, 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 December 2007 at 20:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Bloomfield, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Clark Regional Airport (JVY)

Coordinates

37.9522, -85.2358

Aircraft

Cessna T210N

Registration

N5431C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Henry D. Garretson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charleston → Jeffersonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08FA027

2 people died.

the pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the airplane, which resulted in the in-flight break up. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's loss of control in-flight due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A review of recorded radar data showed that the airplane was heading northwest towards the destination airport, descending through an altitude of 6,800 feet mean sea level (msl) at a constant rate of about 650 feet-per-minute, when it began to make a subtle turn to the north. About 32 seconds later, the airplane continued to turn and descend at a constant rate, reaching a maximum bank angle of about 40 to 50 degrees and exceeding the structural cruise speed by 20 knots calibrated airspeed (13 knots less than never exceed speed). Trajectory calculations showed that a breakup of the airplane occurred about 5 seconds later. The debris field heading was in a southeasterly direction located in close proximity to the last three radar returns. A weather study revealed that based on available weather data at the time of the accident, the airplane was likely in visual meteorological conditions until just prior to the breakup. With cloud tops to 13,000 feet, the possibility existed that the airplane entered instrument meteorological conditions. All of the fracture surfaces examined exhibited features consistent with static overload and no evidence of metal fatigue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.