Cessna T210M accident near Bay City, Wisconsin, October 24, 2014
On October 24, 2014 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna T210M, registered N761SU, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Bay City, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrument rated pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2014 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bay City, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M, built 1978 · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N761SU · no longer on the register · serial 21062488
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on a cross-country flight. When the airplane was reported overdue by family members, a search was initiated, and the airplane wreckage was located about 3 miles from a regional airport. Witnesses reported seeing an airplane maneuvering near the airport about the time of the accident; one witness reported it was in a steep bank. That witness reported the weather as "murky" with a low overcast sky and an estimated visibility of 3 miles; another witness reported there was a light breeze and drizzle. The automated weather reporting station at the airport recorded a 900-ft overcast ceiling and 5 miles visibility in mist. Additionally, weather reports and forecasts along the route of flight included overcast clouds and instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing for the flight. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that the pilot entered IFR conditions on approach to the airport, was unable to maintain visual references, and subsequently lost control of the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute
- Loss of control in flight during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 206.8 hours in all; 86 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 3,803 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continential TSIO-520R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLNL Land O'Lakes MI at 6:15 pm
- Destination: 0B4 Hartington NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:11 pm from KRGK, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N761SU 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.