- Date
- May 10, 1990, 02:50 local (06:50 UTC)
- Place
- Shady Grove Cor, VA
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6481NCessna 210N
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900510016649A
- Case key
- 11545
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
VFR flight by the non-instument rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), his loss of aircraft control, due to spatial disorientation, and his exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft, while recovering from an uncontrolled descent. Factors related to the accident were: dark night, adverse weather conditions, loss of the vacuum system, 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
Non-instrument rated plt was on VFR flt at ngt fm manteo, NC to winchester, VA. He started the flt earlier than origin- ally planned after learning wx was forecast to deteriorate. When acft did not arr, search was initiated. It was fnd on 5/17/91 in remote area nr Shady Grove corner, VA. Inv revealed rgt wing sepd in flt; wing was fnd abt 700' east of whereacft impacted gnd. Main wreckage was fnd west of impact point. Metallurgical exam showed wing sepd fm overload. Rcrdd radio info revealed plt had enctrd rain. Radar data revealed that bfr acdnt, acft was hdg NE at 2100' MSL. It climbed TO2400', turned north, dscndd to 2000' & turned west, then dscndd to 1500' bfr radar ctc was lost. Radar ctc ended less than 1 mi fm crash site. Abt 29 mi ene at quantico, 0255 EDT wx was in part: 1300' bkn, vis 3 mi in rain & fog, wnd fm 230 deg at 12 KTS. Exam indcd no rotational dmg of drctnl gyro or turn coordinator gyro, only slgt rubbing of attitude gyro & no scoring of vacuum pump vanes, though all rcvd hvy impact dmg & dirt was packed in vacuum pump ports/cavity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6481N
- Reported as
- Cessna 210N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 63055
- Airframe hours
- 3,383
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-L, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Professional Pilot Services
- Registered owner
- Inabelle M. Wright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 3, 1989 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- MQI · Manteo, NC
- Destination
- W16 · Winchester, VA
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 468 total · 24 in this make and model · 433 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NYG, 29 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.