- Date
- March 11, 1990, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N94302Cessna T210L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900311003659A
- Case key
- 26754
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 failure of the pilot to follow the airplane checklist and properly configure the airplane for takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor preflight preparation and the failure of the pilot to compute the aircraft weight before takeoff.
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 airplane struck a tree and descended uncontrolled after takeoff. The airplane was observed settling to the runway after initially becoming airborne. Witnesses indicated the airplane then became airborne again, but never climbed higher than 50 feet. According to witnesses, the airplane engine sounded normal and it appeared that the airplane was over gross weight. A surviving passenger stated that the airplane was 'stol' equipped and 20 degrees of flaps were selected for the departure. Examinatin of the wreckage confirmed the 20 deg flap setting. The elevator trim was set full nose up. The airplane takeoff gross weight was calculated to be 58 pounds over maximum gross weight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94302
- Reported as
- Cessna T210L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21060589
- Engine
- Continental TSIO 520-H-4A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hale Costerisan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 1989
- Destination
- Bakersfield, CA
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Field, runway 4R, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FFZ, 1 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.