Cessna T210N accident near West Fargo, North Dakota, February 20, 1987
On February 20, 1987 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N9499Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Fargo, North Dakota (West Fargo airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1987 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- West Fargo, North Dakota · West Fargo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N9499Y · registry record · serial 21064523
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW AND SLOW ON FINAL APPROACH TO WEST FARGO ARPT. THE ACFT CONTINUED FLT TO THE GROUND, HIT HARD, BOUNCED AND THEN FLEW CLOSE TO THE GROUND IN A LARGE SWEEPING ARC UNTIL THE LEFT WING TIP TOUCHED THE GROUND. THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY HIT A ROAD EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST IN A FARMERS FIELD A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. ICE WAS FOUND ON THE ACFT AND GROUND NEAR THE ACFT APRX 1/2 HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,263 hours in all; 468 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 2,156 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,487 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 104 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 842 Buffalo MN at 6:15 pm
- Destination: D54 Fargo ND
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 17, 3,830 ft by 147 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from FAR, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN87FA057.