What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The airplane impacted the northwest facing slope of a ridge at an elevation of 1,950 feet MSL, while configured for cruise flight. This occurred as the noninstrument-rated private pilot was returning home on a night VFR flight over hilly and sparsely populated terrain. Low ceilings prevailed throughout the area. The pilot's instructor stated that the pilot knew the area well, and that he was aware of the rising terrain. The flight instructor recalled that he talked to the pilot on the afternoon of the accident, and after discussing the worsening weather conditions, he encouraged the pilot to stay in del rio that night. The pilot was in real estate business. The flight instructor believed the pilot felt pressured to get home that evening, because he had a nine o'clock appointment the next morning in austin to inspect a property that he had sold. The flaps and landing gear were found in the retracted position. The elevator trim was found in the neutral position. No evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was found. (-23) on December 25, 1996, at 1915 central standard time, a Cessna 210L, N30891, was destroyed upon impact, with terrain while in cruise flight near Brackettville, Texas. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE NORTHWEST FACING SLOPE OF A RIDGE AT AN ELEVATION OF 1,950 FEET MSL, WHILE CONFIGURED FOR CRUISE FLIGHT. THIS OCCURRED AS THE NONINSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS RETURNING HOME ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT OVER HILLY AND SPARSELY POPULATED TERRAIN. LOW CEILINGS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE PILOT'S INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT KNEW THE AREA WELL, AND THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE RISING TERRAIN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECALLED THAT HE TALKED TO THE PILOT ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT, AND AFTER DISCUSSING THE WORSENING WEATHER CONDITIONS, HE ENCOURAGED THE PILOT TO STAY IN DEL RIO THAT NIGHT. THE PILOT WAS IN REAL ESTATE BUSINESS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THE PILOT FELT PRESSURED TO GET HOME THAT EVENING, BECAUSE HE HAD A NINE O'CLOCK APPOINTMENT THE NEXT MORNING IN AUSTIN TO INSPECT A PROPERTY THAT HE HAD SOLD. THE FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR WERE FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS FOUND IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. (-23) ON DECEMBER 25, 1996, AT 1915 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 210L, N30891, WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT, WITH TERRAIN WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR BRACKETTVILLE, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.