Cessna 210M accident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1992
On May 11, 1992, a Cessna 210M, registered N1411P, was destroyed in an accident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1992
- Place
- West Mifflin, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1411P · registry record · serial 21062080
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON AN EXTENDED BASE LEG THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED JUST SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 31. THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE 2 DAY CROSS COUNTRY WAS PLANNED FROM WEST MIFFLIN, PA, TO HATTERAS, NC, RETURNING TO WEST MIFFLIN ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE PILOT STATED THE TOTAL FLYING TIME FOR THIS CROSS COUNTRY JUST PRIOR TO THE ENGINE QUITTING, WAS 6.25 HOURS. THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT HE HAD 90 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD BEFORE HE STARTED THE CROSS COUNTRY. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE'S GAUGES ALSO SHOWED THE AIRPLANE'S TANKS WERE FULL PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE FROM WEST MIFFLIN. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ANALOG FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED, JUST PRIOR TO THE ENGINE QUITTING, THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAD A FEW GALLONS LEFT IN IT AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 10-12 GALLONS. CESSNA PERFORMANCE CHARTS SHOW THAT FUEL CONSUMPTION COULD HAVE RANGED FROM 12.5 TO 16.1 GALLONS OF FUEL PER HOUR.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 747 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 614 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 2000; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L-3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phoenix Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 8W5 Hatteras NC at 9:30 pm
- Destination: AGC West Mifflin PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.