Cessna P210N N79NL

Summary

On 20 January 1999 at about 22:27 local time, a Cessna P210N registered N79NL was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 January 1999 at 22:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1891, -106.5005

Aircraft

Cessna P210N

Registration

N79NL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scottsdale → Wichita

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99FA034

3 people died.

Total failure of the vacuum system, and failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control, resulting in wing spar failure. Factors were the pilot's spatial disorientation, and his exceeding the design stress limits of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported a dual vacuum pump failure while flying IFR at FL220. Despite having a standby electric artificial horizon, aircraft control was lost during the pilot's attempt to descend to 13,000 feet (reported cloud base). The airframe was overstressed and the right wing failed. Laboratory examination of the vacuum-driven gyroscopes disclosed no evidence of high rotation at impact. Both vacuum pumps bore signatures indicative of failure prior to impact. Not enough of the check valve manifold remained to determine its operational status.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.