Cessna 210E accident near Livingston, Montana, May 25, 1984
On May 25, 1984 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Cessna 210E, registered N2373F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Livingston, Montana. It was a personal 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 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
- May 25, 1984 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Livingston, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210E · all 210Es on the register
- Registration
- N2373F · registry record · serial 21058573
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A VISUAL FLIGHT PLAN FLIGHT THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT OPERATED HIS UNPRESSURIZED CESSNA 210 ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND UP TO AN ALTITUDE OF 16500 FEET MSL. THE PLT STATED THAT JUST AFTER PASSING, 'CRAZY PEAK', HE ENCOUNTERED EXTREME TURBULENCE AND THE ACFT WAS SUCKED DOWN INTO THE CLOUDS BELOW. THE PLT STATED THAT AS THE ACFT ENTERED THE CLOUDS HE RETARDED THE ENGINE POWER. FURTHER HE SAID THAT THE ACFT STARTED A STEEP DESCENT AND BANKED AT LEAST 90 DEGREES. THE ACFT EXITED THE CLOUDS IN AN INVERTED SPIN AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 10000 FEET MSL. THE ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THIS OUT-OF-CONTROL SEQUENCE AND SUBSEQUENT SPIN RECOVERY. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO THE DESTINATION WHERE IT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.
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: 3,595 hours in all; 409 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3,521 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 15, 1983; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 7:55 pm
- Destination: LWT Lewistown MT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from LVM, 20 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.