Cessna 210B accident near Mt Airy, North Carolina, December 24, 1988
On December 24, 1988 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210B, registered N210RW, was destroyed in an accident near Mt Airy, North Carolina (Mt Airy-Surry County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE DESTINATION AIRPORT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO AVOID THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT' OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY AND PRESSURE FROM HIS PASSENGER TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 1988 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mt Airy, North Carolina · Mt Airy-Surry County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210B · all 210Bs on the register
- Registration
- N210RW · no longer on the register · serial 21058066
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: INT Winston-Salem NC at 10:53 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:46 pm from INT, 25 miles away
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.
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.