Cessna 210N accident near Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, May 30, 2006
On May 30, 2006 at about 10:09 pm local time, a Cessna 210N, registered N5212U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Thomas, Kentucky (Cincinnati Muni Airport Lunken). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain altitude/clearance with trees while attempting to return to the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2006 · about 10:09 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Thomas, Kentucky · Cincinnati Muni Airport Lunken · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210N · all 210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5212U · no longer on the register · serial 21064854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during a return to the departure airport approximately two minutes after takeoff. The pilot reported to air traffic control that he wanted to return for unspecified reasons and did not declare an emergency or respond appropriately to ATC directions or inquiries. The airplane was not in a landing configuration and the debris path was consistent with an impact substantially higher than a landing speed. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded operation. The pilot had a number of significant medical conditions. At the time of the accident, the pilot had not received a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration recertifying his airman medical certificate.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-L19 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LUK Cincinnati OH at 10:58 pm
- Destination: I19 Dayton OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LUK, 2 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.