Cessna 210M N9TK

Summary

On 23 June 2003 at about 04:30 local time, a Cessna 210M registered N9TK was involved in an accident near Carlisle, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 June 2003 at 04:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Carlisle, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.8333, -91.8000

Aircraft

Cessna 210M

Registration

N9TK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sheridan → West Memphis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI03LA175

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper in-flight decision to descend for landing, at night, without the runway environment insight. Contributing factors were the pilot's disorientation, the embankment and the dark night condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was substantially damaged when the pilot descended on final approach, at night, without the runway environment in sight and impacted an embankment. The pilot became disoriented during the VFR flight. He attempted to contact center and approach control facilitites, however, positive contact was never established. The pilot reported: "I could not see the airport beacon, although I thought I could see the airport hangar and airport environment." He noted that he did not see any runway threshold lights, however, he "felt very strongly that the runway was below" him. He goes on to report: "I set 30 [degrees] of flap and extended the landing gear for landing. The airplane's landing lights were on at this point looking for the runway." The left wing subsequently impacted an embankment and spun the airplane around 180 degrees as it came to rest in a flooded rice field. The accident site was 6 miles from the nearest airport and 75 miles west-southwest of the the intended destination. A post-accident examination of the aircraft did not reveal any anomalies. The pilot stated there were no failures or malfunctions with the aircraft or engine prior to the accident. The pilot reported weather conditions during the flight as clear with unrestricted visibility.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.