Cessna T210L accident near Orleans, Indiana, March 5, 1998
On March 5, 1998 at about 1:57 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N2546S, was destroyed in an accident near Orleans, Indiana (French Lick airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance with trees. Contributing factors were the pilot's impairment from prescription drugs, low ceilings, fog, trees, and hilly terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1998 · about 1:57 pm local time
- Place
- Orleans, Indiana · French Lick · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N2546S · registry record · serial 21061325
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot departed Indianapolis, IN, for French Lick, IN, to pick up passengers. The airplane crashed 12 miles northwest of the intended destination. The wreckage was located the following afternoon in a wooded area near the crest of a hill. Local weather at the time of the accident was reported to be 100 foot overcast with 1/8 mile visibility due to fog. The aircraft initially contacted 25-30 foot high trees and the wreckage distribution was observed to be 500-600 feet in length. Toxicological examination of samples from the pilot revealed The toxicological examination of the specimens taken revealed: 193 ug/ml Diazepam was detected in blood, 212 ug/ml Nordiazepam was detected in the blood, 1.2 ug/ml Acetaminophen was detected in blood, Temazepam was detected in blood, Buspirone was detected in blood, Oxymetazoline was detected in blood, Nordiazepam was detected in urine, Temazepam was detected in urine, Oxazepam was detected in urine, Buspirone was detected in urine, Oxymetazoline was detected in urine, 125.2 ug/ml Acetaminophen was detected in urine, Diazepam is a prescription tranquilizer commonly used to treat anxiety or muscle spasms. Nordiazepam, temazepam, and oxazepam are metabolites of diazepam. Buspirone is a prescription tranquilizer used to treat anxiety. Oxymetazoline is a common ingredient used in over-the-counter nasal decongestants and eye drops. Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer. Broken prescription bottles and a pill container were located in the wreckage along with numerous pills. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Great Lakes Region Medical Division, pilots are prohibited from operating aircraft while taking Diazepam and/or Buspirone.
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: 450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UMP Indianapolis IN
- Destination: FRH French Lick IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2546S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CHI98FA099.