- Date
- March 1, 1991, 21:41 local (Mar 2, 1991, 04:41 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N761MUCessna T210M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910301003779A
- Case key
- 18015
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 decision to initiate flight into freezing rain which resulted in structural icing that exceeded the ability of the aircraft to maintain flight. A factor was: improper deicing.
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 aircraft was deiced with pure ethylene glycol at room temperature and then departed on an IFR flight in freezing rain and snow with a temperature/dew point of 33/31. Departure instructions were for a right turn to the north following takeoff and direct to the VOR. The aircraft was found nine hours after departing, scattered in a field, 1.5 miles north of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N761MU
- Reported as
- Cessna T210M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 210-62371
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-M, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- New Mexico Flying Service, doing business as B&M Enterprises
- Registered owner
- New Mexico Flying Service
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SKX · Taos Municipal
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, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,350 total · 1,250 in this make and model · 3,575 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SKX, 2 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.