20110422006459A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 210D · Altavista, VA · April 22, 2011

Date: April 22, 2011 · 21:46 local
Place: Altavista, VA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3963Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11FA258
Reported as: Cessna 210D
Reported engine: Continental IO-520 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 294 total75 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N3963YRegistration cancelled May 15, 2015 · Cessna 210DS/N 21058463 · Built 1964 Airframe modelCessna 210D Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

N3963Y, a C210, crashed in an open field 20 miles southwest of the airport near the staunton river. Weather conditions IMC. Witness' all state aircraft was at low altitude. Low fog reported by all witness' with misting rain. Contact was maintained with roanoke tower. The airplane was severly fragmented and its debris was scattered along a path about 200' long and 50' wide.

As the FAA filed it

N3963Y, A C210, CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT NEAR THE STAUNTON RIVER. WEATHER CONDITIONS IMC. WITNESS' ALL STATE AIRCRAFT WAS AT LOW ALTITUDE. LOW FOG REPORTED BY ALL WITNESS' WITH MISTING RAIN. CONTACT WAS MAINTAINED WITH ROANOKE TOWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEVERLY FRAGMENTED AND ITS DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED ALONG A PATH ABOUT 200' LONG AND 50' WIDE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA11FA258Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportAltavista, VAThe pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in actual night instrument conditions.Apr 23, 2011 · Substantial damage