Cessna 210 accident near New Phila, Ohio, December 26, 1989
On December 26, 1989 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N59145, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Phila, Ohio. 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
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO DRAIN ALL OF THE TRAPPED WATER FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM PRIOR TO FLIGHT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITION AND TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1989 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- New Phila, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N59145 · no longer on the register · serial 21060121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING FLT, THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, THEN LOST POWER. HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A SMALL FIELD SURROUNDED BY TREES. HE SAID THAT DURING THE APCH TO LAND, THE ACFT ENCTRD WINDSHEAR, WHICH INCREASED THE RATE OF DESCENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT'S WHEELS HIT TREES BEFORE THE PLANE REACHED THE FIELD, THEN IT NOSE DOWN & IMPACTED THE GROUND. A POST-ACDNT EXAM REVEALED THE GASCOLATOR WAS ABOUT 2/3 FULL OF ICE & WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FLOW DIVIDER. THE PLT SAID THE ACFT HAD BEEN PLACED IN A HEATED HANGAR BEFORE FLT. HE ALSO STATED THAT DURING HIS PREFLT, HE HAD DRAINED THE SUMPS UNTIL HE OBSERVED NO WATER IN THE FUEL.
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: 1,400 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AFJ Washington PA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: JOT Joliet IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:19 pm from CAK, 20 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.