Cessna 210L accident near Atlanta, Georgia, February 27, 2002
On February 27, 2002 at about 10:18 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N115CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia (Fulton County Airporty). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point and excessive airspeed on landing resulting in the airplane going off the end of the runway, on-ground collision with an embankment, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2002 · about 10:18 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Fulton County Airporty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N115CW · registry record · serial 21060520
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was at 4,500 feet three miles from his destination airport when he was cleared to land. He elected not to use flaps due to a 11 knot crosswind and winds gusting at 19 knots. The pilot activated the speed brakes, extended the landing gear, and touched down long and fast on the runway. He initiated light braking action to bleed off airspeed and noticed that he was crossing an intersecting runway. He thought about making a go-around, but noted his airspeed was 60 and he could see the end of the runway. He attempted additional braking action and the airplane went off the end of the runway, down an embankment, and nosed over.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 146 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,947 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2001; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLB Melbourne FL at 6:50 pm
- Destination: FTY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 26, 5,796 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 19 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 10:21 pm from FTY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA056.