# Accident 20011214035479A: Cessna T210L, Sanjacinto, CA, December 14, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 14, 2001, 15:28 local time - Place: Sanjacinto, CA - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.8242° N, 116.8869° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8242&lon=-116.8869&mi=10 - Aircraft: N210RE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N210RE-2002-07-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna T210L (registry code 2073449, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA T210L - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX02FA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02FA049) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011214035479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON DECEMBER 14, 2001, ABOUT 1528 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA T210L, N210RE, COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAN JACINTO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND A POSTIMPACT GROUND FIRE. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO UTILIZE THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SATELLITE-A (GPS) INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE HEMET-RYAN (UNCONTROLLED) AIRPORT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN THE INITIAL AND FINAL APPROACH FIXES, BUT WAS APPROXIMATELY 5.9 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) EAST OF THE SPECIFIED APPROACH COURSE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT HAD PLANNED TO FLY TO HEMET TO PICKUP RELATIVES AND TRANSPORT THEM TO SANTA MONICA FOR A FAMILY GATHERING. THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM THE SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ABOUT 1446. AT 1515, AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT, A MARCH GCA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE'S PILOT. THE FOLLOWING MINUTE THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS DESCENDING FROM 7,000 TO 6,000 FEET MSL. THE MARCH GCA CONTROLLER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.68 INCHES OF MERCURY. ALSO, THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE GPS APPROACH INTO HEMET, VIA THE SETER INITIAL APPROACH FIX (IAF). THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE. AT 1525:15, THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO REPORT CANCELING THE IFR FLIGHT ON ITS RADIO FREQUENCY, OR AFTER LANDING VIA TELEPHONE. NO RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT WAS HEARD BY THE CONTROLLER. AT 1525:33, 1525:40, AND AT 1525:47, THE CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PILOT. DURING THE LATTER EFFORT, THE CONTROLLER STATED "IF YOU HEAR ME IDENT." AT 1526:02, THE CONTROLLER STATED "I COPY THE IDENT." THE PILOT'S LAST RECORDED TRANSMISSION OCCURRED AT 1526:05, WHEN HE SAID "AH MARCH, DO YOU READ ME, ZERO ROMEO ECHO." THE CONTROLLER REPLIED AT 1526:08, AND STATED "OK, I HEAR YOU NOW ITS, AH WHEN YOU GET BEHIND THOSE MOUNTAIN RANGES OVER THERE ITS AH WE USUALLY LOSE RADAR AND RADIO BACK THERE." AT 1526:16 AND 1526:26, THE CONTROLLER AGAIN TRANSMITTED IFR CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PILO T, BUT NO REPLY WAS RECORDED. THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "ZERO ROMEO ECHO, RADAR CONTACT LOST" AT 1526:51. AIRPLANE INFORMATION: THE AIRPLANE WAS CERTIFIED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) FOR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). IT WAS NOT CERTIFIED FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED PITOT TUBE AND AN ALTERNATE SOURCE FOR OBTAINING STATIC ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FOR EMERGENCY USE IF THE PRIMARY STATIC PORT BECAME BLOCKED. THE PRIMARY STATIC PORT WAS NOT HEATED. A REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE FILE AND RECORDS REVEALED THAT SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS HAD BEEN MADE TO EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE. ON APRIL 23, 2001, A GARMIN GPS RECEIVER, MODEL 530, WAS INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE VIA A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) FIELD APPROVAL. FOLLOWING A FUNCTIONAL EVALUATION, ON MAY 2, 2001, THE FAA AUTHORIZED IFR OPERATION OF THE GPS VIA AN ADDITIONAL FAA FIELD APPROVAL. PERSONNEL AT THE AVIONICS REPAIR STATION THAT INSTALLED THE GARMIN GPS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC DIRECTION FINDER (ADF RECEIVER), OR A SECONDARY GPS RECEIVER. THESE RECEIVERS WERE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE BEEN I NSTALLED FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT UNDER IMC. AN AUTOPILOT HAVING PITCH, ROLL AND ALTITUDE HOLD CAPABILITY WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AIRPLANE. ITS INSTALLATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION: IN PERTINENT PART, AT 1455, MARCH AIRPORT, ELEVATION 1,538 FEET MSL, REPORTED ITS WEATHER CONDITIONS: VISIBILITY 1 1/4 MILES; LIGHT RAIN AND MIST; AND OVERCAST CEILING AT 400 FEET AGL. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE BOTH 8 DEGREES CELSIUS. THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.68 INCHES OF MERCURY. (MARCH IS LOCATED ABOUT 15 NM WEST-NORTHWEST OF HEMET.) AT 1515, HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT, ELEVATION 1,512, REPORTED ITS SURFACE WIND WAS FROM 200 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS; VISIBILITY WAS 2 MILES; SKY CONDITION WAS BROKEN AT 1,000 FEET AGL, AND OVERCAST AT 1,600 FEET AGL. THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.66 INCHES OF MERCURY. AT 1525, HEMET'S SURFACE WIND WAS FROM 200 DEGREES AT 17 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 24 KNOTS; VISIBILITY WAS 5 MILES; SKY CONDITION WAS SCATTERED AT 1,000 FEET AGL, BROKEN AT 1,800 FEET AGL, AND OVERCAST AT 5,000 FEET AGL. THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.66 INCHES OF MERCURY. AIDS TO NAVIGATION: THE FAA REPORTED THAT THE GPS APPROACH TO HE MET-RYAN AIRPORT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 1996. THE ONLY SUBSEQUENT CHANGE TO THE PROCEDURE OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2000. THE CHANGE INVOLVED DELETION OF NOTES REFERRING TO THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, AND REFERRING TO USING THE MARCH ALTIMETER SETTING. THE FAA'S SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT INSPECTION FIELD OFFICE LAST FLIGHT TESTED THE APPROACH IN SEPTEMBER 2000. NO PROBLEMS WITH THE APPROACH WERE NOTED. THE FAA REPORTED THAT NO OUTAGES OF THE SAN JACINTO NDB OR THE GPS SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE WAS NOTED DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. NO REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM PILOTS (PIREPS) REGARDING ANY NAVIGATION ANOMALIES WITH THESE NAVIGATIONS AIDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT. AIRPORT AND GROUND FACILITIES: SEVERAL INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES (IAPS) EXIST FOR USE AT THE HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT. THE APPROACH PROCEDURE ENTITLED "NDB AND GPS-A" HAS THE LOWEST PUBLISHED LANDING MINIMA. WHEN PERFORMING THE GPS-A IAP, THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE IS 2,600 FEET MSL (1,100 ABOVE GROUND LEVEL). THE LISTED MINIMUM VISIBILITY IS 1 1/4 MILES. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION: THE ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND AIRPLANE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE NORTH FACE SLOPE OF AN APPROXIMATE 3,600-FOOT-HIGH MOUNTAIN AT GPS COORDINATES OF 33 DEGREES 49.452 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE BY 116 DEGREES 53.215 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. THIS LOCATION IS ABOUT 8.2 NM AND 038 DEGREES FROM THE HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT. THE MAGNETIC COURSE OF THE AIRPLANE'S IMPACT GROUND SCAR WAS ABOUT 127 DEGREES. THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT (IPI) ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 3,550 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 40 FEET UPSLOPE (SLANT DISTANCE) FROM THE IPI. THE IPI WAS ON ESTIMATED 30-DEGREE UPSLOPING TERRAIN, AND ABOUT 50 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND IN AN UPRIGHT ATTITUDE. A GROUND FIRE CONSUMED THE INBOARD PORTIONS OF BOTH WINGS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, COCKPIT, AND THE ENTIRE PASSENGER CABIN. THE AFT PORTION OF THE EMPENNAGE REMAINED INTACT WITH THE ATTACHED FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THE WING SPARS APPEARED PRINCIPALLY STRAIGHT, THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, AND THE WING FLAPS WERE OBSERVED EXTENDED TO ABOUT 10 DEGREES. THE CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM WAS CONFIRMED. THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND IN THE PROPELLER HUB AND THEY EXHIBITED TORSIONAL DEFORMATION, "S" BENDING, AND SCRATCHES IN A CHORDWISE DIRECTION. TWO OF THE BLADE TIPS WERE NOTED SEPARATED. THE ENGINE'S CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED THROUGH ABOUT 10 DEGREES OF ARC UNTIL INTERFERENCE WITH THE GROUND WAS EXPERIENCED. DURING ROTATION, THE AFT MOUNTED VACUUM PUMP DRIVE GEAR WAS OBSERVED TO ROTATE. THE FLOW DIVIDER SCREEN WAS CLEAR. NO EXTERNAL VISUAL EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS NOTED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE'S CASE AND ACCESSORIES. (-23) 12/14/2001, N210RE CESSNA 210 AIRCRAFT ON GPS APPROACH TO HEMET RYAN AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT LOST CONTACT WITH MARCH TOWER DURING APPROACH. LAST REPORTED CONTACT WITH AIRCRAFT REPORTED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST OF HEMET. AIRCRAFT FOUND ON 12/15/01 AT APPROXIMATELY 0830, AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED INTO SIDE OF MOUNTAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 3550 FEET. ON SITE, AIRCRAFT HAD EVIDENCE OF FIRE WITH ONE FATALITY (PILOT). ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX02FA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02FA049), Dec 14, 2001: Cessna T210L (N210RE), San Jacinto, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of situational awareness and his failure to adhere to the prescribed instrument approach procedures, including the track and altitudes flown. The underlying reasons for the pilot's… ## Other reports on N210RE (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19960720033229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960720033229A), Jul 20, 1996: Cessna T210L (N210RE), Santa Fe, NM, Substantial damage. Low fuel en route ignored beleived gauge error. Lost power on base. Landed road. Hit sign and fence. Fuel exhaustion (-23) a/c lost power while on approach to… - [Incident 19890821043349I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890821043349I), Aug 21, 1989: Cessna T210L (N210RE), Torrance, CA, Minor damage. Aircraft bounced twice on a crosswind landing. Skidded onto grass. Stopped in soft soil. Propeller tip damaged. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.