Cessna 210J accident near Sumner, Iowa, June 25, 2000
On June 25, 2000 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210J, registered N3396S, was destroyed in an accident near Sumner, Iowa. 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
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the terrain after flight into adverse weather. Contributing factors were the thunderstorms and lack of instrument certification by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2000 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sumner, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210J · all 210Js on the register
- Registration
- N3396S · no longer on the register · serial 21059196
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed on impact with a bean field during a cross-country flight. The pilot was not instrument rated. Weather radar indicated that an area of convective activity was present at the time of the accident. A witness reported hearing a low flying plane during a heavy downpour. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
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
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCW Mason City IA
- Destination: DBQ Dubuque IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 163°F (73°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:11 pm from ALO, 9 miles away
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.