- Date
- December 24, 1988, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Airy, NC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N210RWCessna 210B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881224056149A
- Case key
- 7870
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot attempted to locate the destination airport in instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain a sufficient altitude to avoid the terrain in the area. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot' overconfidence in his personal ability and pressure from his passenger to complete the flight.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N210RW
- Reported as
- Cessna 210B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058066
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-S, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William R. Spencer
- Registered owner
- Gsa
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- INT · Winston-Salem, NC
- Airport
- MWK · Mt Airy-Surry County
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 700 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT, 25 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.