Cessna P210N accident near Tonopah, NV
On December 14, 2003, a Cessna P210N (airplane) was involved in an accident near Tonopah, NV. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 14, 2003
- Place
- Tonopah, NV
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.265°N, 117.236°W
- NTSB ID
- 20031219X02064
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 14, 2003, about 1050 pacific standard time, a Cessna P210N, N4674A, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 13 miles north of Tonopah, Nevada, during an instrument approach to the Tonopah Airport. The airplane was being operated by the private pilot as an instrument flight rules (IFR) personal cross country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The pilot and sole passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan was filed. The flight departed Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona, about 0700 en route to Tonopah. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on December 15, an air safety investigator from the Los Angeles, California, NTSB office said the accident airplane was reported overdue by FAA air traffic control (ATC) when the airplane did not arrive at the Tonopah airport after being cleared for the GPS Runway 15 instrument approach to the airport. A search for the airplane was initiated. On December 17, the wreckage of the airplane was located on a mountainside at an approximate elevation of 7,500 feet, about 13 miles north of Tonopah. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on December 17, the Nye County Coroner, Nye County, Nevada, said he had been to the accident site. He said the airplane impacted a high rock face and tumbled to the scree slope below. He said a postcrash fire consumed most of the cabin. The airplane was being flown by the pilot/owner, a
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to follow approved instrument flight procedures, and his failure to maintain clearance from obstacles/terrain, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident are snow and low clouds.
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Browse: Nevada · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
