Cessna T210N accident near Riverton, Wyoming, February 15, 1983
On February 15, 1983 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N5393A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Riverton, Wyoming (Riverton airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1983 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Riverton, Wyoming · Riverton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5393A · no longer on the register · serial 21063410
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SLID ACROSS A ROAD AND SLID PARALLEL TO A FENCE UNTIL THE ACFT HIT A FENCE POST DURING A FORCED LANDING. THE ACFT WAS ON A TEST FLT AFTER MAINTENANCE WHICH INCLUDED ADJUSTMENT OF THE ABSOLUTE CONTROLLER. THE BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKSWERE MADE AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. DURING TAKEOFF AT 500 FT AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP AND ENGINE REGAINED POWER THEN QUIT. THE PILOT SWITCHED TANKS AND CHECKED MIXTURE BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT START.A LANDING WAS MADE ON A PUBLIC ROAD WITH GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. THE EXAMINATION AND POST ACCIDENT TEST RUNS OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE ABSOLUTE CONTROLLER WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT WHICH CAUSED AN OVER RICH MIXTURE. BY ADDING THE BOOST PUMP AFTER ENGINE FAILURE IT AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION TO THE POINT OF FLOODING THE ENGINE.
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: 480 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 412 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,219 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 1982; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 8,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N5393A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.