- Date
- June 30, 1989, 21:47 local (Jul 1, 1989, 01:47 UTC)
- Place
- Piney Flats, TN
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5939FCessna 210H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890630018679A
- Case key
- 7903
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's failure to maintain control of the aircraft after becoming spatially disoriented, and his exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft while attempting to recover from an uncontrolled descent. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, cloud condition, pilot fatigue, and the pilot's lack of instrument experience. .
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 acft was on a VFR x-country flt at ngt, when an in-flt break-up occurred. Subsequently, wreckage was scattered over about a 1.4 mi area. There was evidence the left wing failed in positive overload aprx 3' outboard of the wing root. The cabin door & tail surfaces also sepd. All fractures exhibited evidence of overlaod. No evidence of any pre-existing defect was fnd. The non-inst rated plt was not in contact with any ATC facility during the flt. Radar data showed the acft made svrl alt excursions during about a 30 min period before the acdnt. Just before disappearing fm radar, the flt track deviated to the left. The acdnt occurred on a dark ngt at abt 2147 EDT; though his last rest period was not verified, the plt routinely slept fm 2100 to 0400. Abt 5 mi sw at the tri-city rgnl arpt, the 2152 wx was in part: 5000 ft sct, 8500' bkn, 30,000' ovc, vis 7 mi, wnd fm 130 deg at 7 KTS. Elev of the wx station was 1519'. The acft was at 8700' MSL when radar ctc was lost.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5939F
- Reported as
- Cessna 210H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058939
- Airframe hours
- 2,400
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Riverdale Transport, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1989
- Departed
- Leesburg, VA
- Destination
- Selma, AL
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,900 total · 4,600 in this make and model · 75 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRI, 5 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.