Cessna 210L accident near Madison County, Alabama, January 19, 1982
On January 19, 1982, a Cessna 210L, registered N641CH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison County, Alabama (Huntsville-Madison County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 1982
- Place
- Madison County, Alabama · Huntsville-Madison County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N641CH · no longer on the register · serial 21059801
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DESTIN, FL AT 1554 CST ON A FLIGHT TO TULLAHOMA, TN. THE ESTIMATED TIME EN ROUTE WAS LISTED ON THE FLIGHT PLAN AS 2.5 HRS WITH 4.5 HOURS FUEL ON BOARD. DURING ARRIVAL AT TULLAHOMA, THE PILOT INITIATED A VOR/DME-B APPROACH, BUT EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH DUE TO WEATHER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN CLEARED TO PROCEED TO HUNTSVILLE, AL. DURING AN ILS APPROACH AT HUNTSVILLE, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. THE PLANE CRASHED AT ABOUT 1835 CST WHEN IT STRUCK TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING. AN INVESTIGAITON REVEALED THAT THE PLANE WAS LAST REFUELED ON 1/17/82 AT TULLAHOMA. AFTER THAT, IT WAS FLOWN AROUND THE AIRPORT PATTERN, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE PLANE WAS FLOWN TO DESTIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED ONLY TRACES OF FUELL.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,854 hours in all; 163 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 3,688 as pilot in command; 1,337 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 804 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Destin FL at 4:54 pm
- Destination: Tullahoma TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from HSV, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.