- Date
- February 4, 1984, 20:33 local (Feb 5, 1984, 01:33 UTC)
- Place
- Newport News, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8437ZCessna 210
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840204062779A
- Case key
- 6251
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flight had been airborne for aprx 38 mins when the pilot began experiencing communication problems. Nine minutes later the pilot reported 'instrument problems' and began to receive radar vectors to a landing. 15 minutes later she declared an emergency and said her mag compass and directional gyro had malfunctioned and began receiving no gyro radar vectors at 1000 feet MSL. After receiving three no gyro turns she was instructed to 'stop turn.' Twenty five seconds later she said 'I'm, I'm starting to spin.' No further transmissions were received. The aircraft impacted aprx 3 miles west of the intended landing airport. An examination of the attitude indicator, the directional gyro, both vacuum pumps and related components indicated that they were functioning upon impact. The accuracy of the instrument indications could not be determined however, due to impact damage. Aircraft logs revealed no previous instrument system write-ups.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8437Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 210
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2050437
- Airframe hours
- 3,558
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilton II Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 21, 1983 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- IAD · Washington, DC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PHF · Patrick Henry, runway 7, 8,003 × 15 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,519 total · 2,079 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHF, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.