- Date
- June 13, 1997, 18:42 local (22:42 UTC)
- Place
- Waycross, GA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1817FCessna 210F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970613014079A
- Case key
- 38289
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 private pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, while maneuvering in an attempt to reverse direction, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent in-flight collision with 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
The pilot stated he was in cruise flight when the manifold pressure dropped. He elected to divert to an alternate airport. He completed the before landing check and noted that his final approach airspeed was fast. He attempted to reduce power with negative results. The airplane touched down fast and became airborne with insufficient power to climb. The pilot made a steep left turn, followed by a steep right turn, then the airplane stalled and collided with the terrain. Examination of the throttle cable revealed it had become disconnected from the engine.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 1997, about 1842 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210F, N1817F, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed at the Waycross-Ware County Airport, Waycross, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and three passengers reported minor injuries. The flight departed from Lawrenceville, Georgia, about 1 hour 28 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he had leveled off at 6,000 feet in IMC conditions when the manifold pressure dropped to 15 inches. He informed ATC that he was losing power, could not maintain altitude, and requested a vector to the nearest airport. He was provided vectors to Waycross, encountered VFR conditions at 3,500 feet, and had visual contact with the airport. He contacted UNICOM and was informed that runway 18 was the active runway in use, but elected to land straight in to runway 23. He completed the before landing check, and lowered the flaps to 20 degrees. The final approach was fast, estimated at about 90 to 100 knots. He attempted to reduce power with negative results. The airplane touched down fast, and became airborne with insufficient power to climb, and no attempt was made to shut the engine down by turning off the mixture. He made a steep left, followed by a steep right turn, hoping to keep the aircraft on the airport. The left wing dropped down, the nose pitched down, the airplane stalled, and the airplane collided with the ground in a left wing low, nose down attitude, separating the nose gear, and left main gear.
Examination of the airplane by the FAA revealed the throttle cable had disconnected from the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1817F
- Reported as
- Cessna 210F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 210-58717
- Airframe hours
- 3,405
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A5, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenneth L. Brittingham Jr
- Registered owner
- Thomas M. Willett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 4, 1997 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- LZU · Lawrenceville, GA
- Destination
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AYS · Waycross-Ware County, runway 23, 5,035 × 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 692 total · 73 in this make and model · 584 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AMG, 27 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.