Cessna 210 accident near Shelbyville, Illinois, February 15, 1996
On February 15, 1996 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N9614X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shelbyville, Illinois (Shelby County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's improper use of procedure by wearing unapproved correcting lenses, and his resultant decreased depth perception.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1996 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Illinois · Shelby County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9614X · registry record · serial 21057914
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that when he landed, he didn't pull the nose up, and the airplane landed on the nose wheel. The airplane bounced up. The pilot didn't get the nose up again, and the airplane landed on the nose wheel a second time and blew the tire. The pilot had difficulty steering the airplane, and it veered off the runway. The nose wheel went into soft dirt and the airplane subsequently nosed over. Later, an investigation revealed the 54 year old pilot was wearing monovision contact lenses to correct for distant vision in his right eye and near vision in his left eye. When correcting lenses were prescribed for the pilot (before the accident), his optometrist was not aware of FAA requirements concerning use of contact lenses. After the accident, the pilot flew with a flight instructor (CFI) to prepare for an FAA-directed evaluation. The CFI reported that while the pilot was using monovision (contact) lenses, he had a tendency to flare too late. During this approximate time, the pilot visited his aviation medical examiner (AME) for his annual flight physical. The AME found the pilot to be using monovision contact lenses and advised him that these were not approved for use in flight, and that he should discontinue using them for vision correction. After the pilot changed to bifocal glasses, the CFI noted a significant improvement of his landings.
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: 203 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 108 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,465 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 1996; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2H0 at 4:05 pm
- Destination: PPQ Pittsfield IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 pm from DEC, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.