Cessna 210 accident near Marshall, Michigan, April 3, 1996
On April 3, 1996 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N2586S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marshall, Michigan (Brooks Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A deer that wandered onto the runway. Darkness was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1996 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Marshall, Michigan · Brooks Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N2586S · registry record · serial 21061334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that as the airplane was taking off, a deer hit the left side of the empennage, causing a violent yaw to the left, but the airplane continued to fly. Passengers in the rear seat used a flashlight to inspect the damage. They discovered that the left horizontal stabilizer, elevator and empennage were damaged. The pilot was concerned about tail flutter and possible stalling of the airplane. He determined that he would maintain 100 knots and continue in the same direction to the nearest airport, where he could make a straight-in landing, and emergency services were available. An uneventful landing was made.
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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH OBJECT during takeoff
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 1,895 hours in all; 1,185 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,848 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,537 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, December 15, 1995; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: 5D8 at 2:30 am
- Destination: JXN Jackson MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 46°C, dew point 27°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from BTL, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI96LA124.