- Date
- April 9, 1990, 17:56 local (23:56 UTC)
- Place
- Elbert, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4912UCessna 210E
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900409007899A
- Case key
- 17826
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 initiation of flight into known adverse weather, the rapid ice accumulation on the airframe, and an inadvertent stall-mush, resulting in an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
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
Plt obtained wx briefing and advised of known icing conditions along route. Plt filed IFR flt plan and took off at 1733. At 1744, plt reported picking up rime ice and requested lower alt. ATC was unable to descend plt due to minimum vectoring alt and told plt to climb to 10,000 ft. at 1745, plt advised he had too much ice and could not climb. ATC cleared acft to 9000 ft. at 1748, plt said he was losing static system. ATC cleared acft direct to kiowa VORTAC and towards lower terrain. At 1752, plt said he could not maintain alt and was losing airspeed. ATC cleared acft to 8500 ft. at 1753, radar contact was lost. At 1756, acft crashed. Tv videotapes taken 3 hrs after crash showed at least 1-IN rime ice on leading edges of wings, stabilizers, and struts. Acft was not certified for flt into known icing conditions. Plt was instrument rated, but had logged only 3.75 hrs IFR flt, all actual, in previous 6 mos.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4912U
- Reported as
- Cessna 210E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058612
- Airframe hours
- 5,745
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Carl Feldhamer & Associates
- Registered owner
- Carl Feldhamer And Associates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 1989 · 270 hours before
- Departed
- COS · Colorado Spring, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,054 total · 694 in this make and model · 3,911 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 20 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 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.