Cessna 210H N5940F

Summary

On 9 August 2021 at about 16:15 local time, a Cessna 210H registered N5940F was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 2021 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Melbourne, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

Melbourne Muni - John E Miller (42A)

Coordinates

36.0567, -91.8356

Aircraft

Cessna 210H

Registration

N5940F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Heber Springs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21FA364

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane with full flaps during the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a personal flight to his home airport. A witness at the departure airport reported observing the pilot conduct a preflight examination of the airplane and then taxi the airplane to the runway for takeoff. The witness stated that the airplane seemed to have an extended takeoff roll and that the airplane lifted off near the departure end of the runway. Witnesses who were located beyond the departure end of the runway reported that the airplane was flying low and seemed to be turning just before it crashed. The airplane impacted trees and terrain. A postcrash fire ensued and destroyed the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The flap actuator was found in the fully extended position (30°). The elevator trim actuator was measured at a 2-inch extension, which was consistent with a 20° nose-down position. With the flaps fully extended, the airplane’s ability to climb and maneuver was significantly degraded. As a result, the pilot was unable to maintain airplane control while making a turn at a low altitude after liftoff. Postmortem toxicology testing showed that the pilot’s hemoglobin A1C level was 7.2%, which indicated the pilot’s diabetes was uncontrolled (but not severely) during the months before the accident. His elevated glucose (sugar) level placed him at risk for fatigue, dehydration, and blurred vision. The investigation could not determine whether the pilot’s uncontrolled diabetes impaired his ability to properly monitor the airplane’s configuration and safely perform the takeoff and climb.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.