Cessna T210 N2081U

Summary

On 7 September 2010 at about 18:20 local time, a Cessna T210 registered N2081U, operated by Montgomery Bay Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Mountain Home, Arkansas, 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

7 September 2010 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Mountain Home, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

36.1903, -92.4406

Aircraft

Cessna T210

Registration

N2081U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Montgomery Bay Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Danville → Georgetown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10FA520

2 people died.

The pilot’s decision to continue flight into a known area of heavy rain and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight at 6,700 feet mean sea level when the air traffic controller advised the pilot that a large area of heavy to extreme rain showers was ahead along his flight path for the next 180 miles. The pilot did not change course, and, about 6 minutes later, he requested a descent in order to remain operating under visual flight rules. About 4 minutes later, the controller lost radar contact with the airplane and tried to contact the pilot. There was no response. Witnesses on the ground reported that the airplane’s engine could be heard “revving up and down,” but the airplane could not be seen because of an overcast layer of clouds. Moments later the airplane appeared from the clouds and was observed descending in a nose down spiral. The witnesses added that, before the airplane descended out of sight, one of the wings “appeared to fold.” Postaccident examination indicated that the airplane experienced a positive overload failure of the left wing during the descent and subsequently broke apart. The examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions, anomalies, or failures before the wing separation that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.