Cessna 210N accident near Frankfort, Illinois, December 3, 1991
On December 3, 1991 at about 2:20 am local time, a Cessna 210N, registered N5281A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Frankfort, Illinois (Frankfort airport). It was a business 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 FAILURE OF THE FSS TO NOTIFY ATC THAT THE ARIPORT WAS CLOSED, ATC'S SUBSEQUENT APPROACH CLEARANCE TO THE CLOSED AIRPORT, AND THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON THE ICY RUNWAY. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICY RUNWAY CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1991 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Frankfort, Illinois · Frankfort · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210N · all 210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5281A · no longer on the register · serial 210-63346
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE RUNWAY 27 VOR APPROACH AND CIRCLED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 09. CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST ON TOUCHDOWN AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO ROUGH TERRAIN WHERE THE NOSE AND RIGHT GEARS COLLAPSED. THE AIRPORT MANAGER CHECKED THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED NO BRAKING ACTION AT WHICH TIME HE CLOSED THE AIRPORT WITH FSS.
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: 1,343 hours in all; 608 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,304 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,531 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 1991; 181 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Suburban Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Washington DC at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 3,176 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.