Cessna 210N accident near Alexander City, Alabama, October 7, 1988
On October 7, 1988, a Cessna 210N, registered N6510N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alexander City, Alabama (Thomas C Russell Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1988
- Place
- Alexander City, Alabama · Thomas C Russell Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210N · all 210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6510N · registry record · serial 21063076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ABOUT 2 MI SHORT OF THE DESTINATION ARPT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT IT IMPACTED NOSE DOWN AFTER CLEARING TREES; NO ENGINE SOUNDS WERE HEARD. ACCORDING TO RESCUE PERSONNEL, THE PLT INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO ENGINE OR OTHER MECHANICAL FAILURES; HE INDICATED INSTEAD THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM W/ FUEL. THE PERSONNEL NOTED THAT THEY DIDN'T SMELL ANY FUEL ODOR OR OBSERVE ANY FUEL SPILLAGE AT THE SCENE. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN THE ACFT FUEL SYSTEM. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION OR MECH MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PLT HAD DEPARTED THE ARPT EARLIER IN THE DAY W/ APPROX 64 GAL OF FUEL ON BOARD. TOTAL CAPACITY IS 89 GAL. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THAT ADDITONAL FUEL WAS OBTAINED DURING SUBSEQUENT STOPS. INTERPOLATION OF ACFT PERFORMANCE CHARTS REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD AN EXPECTED ENDURANCE OF ABOUT 4.7 HRS AT 65% PWR, WITH 64 GAL OF USABLE FUEL. THE ACTUAL ELAPSED FLT TIME SINCE REFUELING WAS ABOUT 5 HRS, BASED ON TACH TIME.
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: 740 hours in all; 640 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,253 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 1988; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Concord NC at 9:30 pm
- Destination: ALX Alexander City AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MGM, 44 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL89FA006.