# NTSB NYC91LA043: Cessna 210L, N5280V, New Haven, CT, December 6, 1990 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 5, 1990, 23:00 local (Dec 6, 1990, 04:00 UTC) - Place: New Haven, CT - Location: 41.2637° N, 72.8877° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TWEED/NEW HAVEN (HVN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2637&lon=-72.8877&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 4 minor; on the ground: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 15, 1992 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 36854 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC91LA043 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/36854/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC91LA043 ## Probable cause THE FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE DRIVER TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE RADIO/TRAFFIC PATTERN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE AIRCRAFT'S LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AFTER ACTIVATING THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND ENTERING THE PATTERN, AND THE LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION CONCERNING BOTH THE VEHICLE DRIVER AND THE PILOT. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - electrical system - failure,total (contributing factor) - exterior light(s) - inoperative - comm/nav equipment - inoperative - air/ground communications - not possible, pilot in command - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - light condition - night (contributing factor) - object - vehicle - monitoring - inadequate, driver of vehicle (cause) - visual/aural perception, driver of vehicle - visual/aural perception, pilot in command ## Analysis DRG FLT, THE PLT NOTED A NEGATIVE READING ON THE AMMETER & CYCLED THE ALTERNATOR SW, BUT TO NO AVAIL. BEFORE LNDG, SHE ACTIVATED THE RWY LGTS & DISCUSSED THE WNDS WITH A DEPG PLT. A COMPLETE ELEC FAILURE OF THE ACFT OCCURRED AS IT WAS ON DOWNWIND TO LND AFTER THE TWR HAD CLOSED. CONSEQUENTLY, ALL EXTERNAL LGTG & COM RADIO IN THE ACFT WERE INOP. A VEHICLE DRIVER WAS MAKING A RQRD INSPN ON RWY 32. THE DRIVER SAID SHE MONITORED THE TWR FREQ USING A HAND HELD RADIO & HEARD A DISCUSION, BUT DIDN'T HEAR EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. SHE SAW THE RWY LIGHTS ILLUMINATE, BUT THOUGHT THEY WERE ACTVTD BY THE DEPG ACFT. SHE ANNOUNCED HER FLD PSN & INTENTIONS USING THE GND CTL FREQ. THE PLT LNDD THE ACFT ON RWY 20 & BGN THE ROLLOUT AS THE VEHICLE DRIVER WAS ON RWY 32, CROSSING RWY 20. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT & VEHICLE COLLIDED AT THE RWY INTXN. THE ACFT'S ALTERNATOR & VOLTAGE REGULATOR WERE REMOVED & TESTED, BUT BOTH WERE FND TO BE OPNL. THE OVERVOLTAGE UNIT WAS NOT RECOVERED & THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ELEC PWR WAS NOT VERIFIED. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5280V](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5280V-1992-12-28), registration cancelled 1992-12-28, S/N 21060895, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 210L - Registry model: [Cessna 210L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210l) (registry code 2073448) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21060895 - Airframe hours: 2368 - Engines: CONTINENTAL IO-520-L 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Executive/Corporate, Part 91 - Operator: Shoreline Aviation, Inc. - Registered owner: Thermtran, Ltd - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 2, 1990, 32 hours before - Departed: PIT, PITTSBURGH, PA - Destination: HVN, NEW HAVEN, CT - Flight plan: VFR/IFR - Airport: HVN, Tweed New Haven, runway 20, 5,600 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 27; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 2,066 total, 342 in this make and model, 1,790 as pilot in command, 143 in the last 90 days, 49 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/bright - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 25 °F, dew point -0 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19901205062669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901205062669A), Dec 5, 1990: Cessna 210L, New Haven, CT, Substantial damage. Lost electrics. No lights. On landing hit truck. Driver was transmitting on wrong frequency. No beacon on truck. ## Other investigations on N5280V (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW82DA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW82DA212), Jun 5, 1982: Cessna 210L (N5280V), Wichita Falls, TX, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.