Cessna T210R incident near Washington, District of Columbia, July 2, 1988
On July 2, 1988 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210R, registered N6286U, suffered minor damage in an incident near Washington, District of Columbia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER MAINTENANCE RESULTING IN THE ROUTING OF WIRE WHICH CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND INFLIGHT SMOKE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1988 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210R · all T210Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6286U · no longer on the register · serial 21064930
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT WHICH HE STATED CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE TRIM TAB SWITCH BECAME INOPERATIVE, THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BECAME 'HEAVY' AND THE WX RADAR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED EVEN THOUGH THE RADAR WAS OFF. THE PLT STATED THE SMOKE EVENTUALLY STOPPED AND HE CONTINUED TO THE DESTINATION AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT INSIDE THE RIGHT WING, NEAR THE ROOT SECTION, THE WIRES FOR THE NAV LITE, STROBE LITE, AND FUEL QUANTITY TRANSMITTER SHORTED AND BURNED. THE WIRES WERE NEXT TO A FUEL VENTLINE THAT HAD BEEN CHANGED. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT ABOUT 3 YRS AGO A RADAR POD AND RADOME WERE INSTALLED WHICH INVOLVED ROUTING OF WIRES THROUGH THE AREA WHERE THE SHORTED WIRES WERE LOCATED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 234 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 23, 1987; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-CE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GED Georgetown DE at 1:00 pm
- Destination: IAD Washington DC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from IAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.