Cessna P210R accident near Bay Minette, Alabama, March 1, 1994
On March 1, 1994 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna P210R, registered N55MM, was destroyed in an accident near Bay Minette, Alabama. It was a business 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND THE AIRPLANE, FAILURE OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP, PARTIAL LOSS OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM, AND AN INOPERATIVE ATTITUDE INDICATOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1994 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bay Minette, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210R · all P210Rs on the register
- Registration
- N55MM · registry record · serial P21000874
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE THE IFR FLIGHT. CONVECTIVE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS FORECAST FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AFTER LEVELING AT FL210, HE REPORTED THAT CONDITIONS WERE 'GETTING ROUGH.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT GYRO SYSTEM, THEN SAID ALL GYRO'S WERE 'OUT.' HE ELECTED TO DESCEND IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE VFR WEATHER. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND DISTRIBUTED OVER AN AREA ABOUT 4-1/2 MILES IN LENGTH. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE WINGS HAD FAILED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. DURING AN EXAM OF THE VACUUM POWERED ATTITUDE GYRO, NO ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING WAS FOUND ON THE GYRO OR IN THE GYRO HOUSING. AN EXAM OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP REVEALED THAT THE PLASTIC DRIVE COUPLING HAD SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS & MELTING, THAT THE INTERNAL VEINS WERE BROKEN & CRACKED & THAT THERE WAS A DEPOSIT OF CARBON MATERIAL INSIDE THE HOUSING. THE RIGHT VACUUM PUMP HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING. THE GYROS SHOULD HAVE OPERATED WITH 1 VACUUM PUMP IN OPERATION.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,080 hours in all; 157 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 882 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 1993; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-CE1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NEW New Orleans LA at 4:26 pm
- Destination: 61X Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:28 pm from MOB, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N55MM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.