Accident Cessna T210N N5434C,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43910
 
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Date:Tuesday 19 December 2006
Time:08:18
Type:Silhouette image of generic C210 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna T210N
Owner/operator:Farmer Barnstormer, Ltd.
Registration: N5434C
MSN: 21063751
Year of manufacture:1979
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Austin, TX -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Hillsboro, TX (INJ)
Destination airport:Austin, TX (AUS)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The 3,805-hour instrument rated private pilot lost control of the airplane while executing an instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot had been informed by an air traffic controller to expect the ILS/DME RWY 17 instrument approach into his destination airport. The pilot acknowledged and the controller began to provide altitudes and headings to join the approach’s localizer signal. However, a review of the radar data revealed that instead of tracking the localizer, the single-engine airplane began a series of left and right hand climbing and descending turns along the localizer course before initiating a descending right hand turn to the west before the data ended. At that time, the airplane's altitude was 1,900 feet msl, and its ground speed was 173 knots. A witness, who was a commercial pilot in hot-air balloons, heard the sound of an airplane engine "revving up" and observed the airplane as it exited the 500-600 foot overcast layer. He said the airplane was in a descending (45-degree nose down) turn until it impacted the ground. Weather at the time of the accident was visibility 4 statute miles, mist, and a ceiling of 600 feet broken, and overcast 1,200 feet. Toxicological testing conducted on the pilot was negative for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and illegal drugs. However, the testing did detect the drugs doxazosin (which had been prescribed for an enlarged prostate) in the kidney and liver, doxylamine (an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative effects) in the kidney and liver, and trimethoprim (a prescription antibiotic) in the liver. No blood was available for testing. According to a family member, the pilot had been complaining of headaches prior to the accident that the pilot thought may have been due to a sinus infection, and had been taking Nasonex (a prescription nasally inhaled steroid) regularly at the time of the accident. The family member also noted that the pilot had taken Alka-Seltzer Plus approximately 12 hours prior to the accident flight. The pilot's last application for Airman Medical Certificate in January 2005 had indicated the use of medications, but had not detailed the medications used. According to the autopsy report, "...The cause of death could not be determined. This is, at least, in part due to the severe traumatic injury of the body with destruction of vital organs precluding their examination. In addition, from the investigative information, it is not clear whether [the pilot] was alive or dead as the plane descended to the ground."
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while executing an instrument approach for undetermined reasons.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: DFW07FA042
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20061227X01847&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Oct-2008 00:45 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:24 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
23-Jun-2017 19:36 beaverspotter Updated [Cn]
05-Dec-2017 10:16 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]

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