Cessna 210L accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, April 5, 1988
On April 5, 1988 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N910DS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming (Cheyenne Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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
- April 5, 1988 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Cheyenne, Wyoming · Cheyenne Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N910DS · registry record · serial 21061387
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI WAS GIVING A CHECKOUT TO THE PRIVATE PILOT DOCTOR. THE CFI FLIGHT RECORDS SHOWED ONLY ONE HOUR IN THIS MAKE/MODEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE QUIT ON ONE MILE SHORT FINAL FOR RUNWAY 26 AT CHEYENNE, MUNICIPAL. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION AND ENGINE RUN FAILED TO REVEAL EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL ENGINE PROBLEM. NEITHER PILOT COULD REMEMBER SWITCHING TANKS DURING THE EMERGENCY, OR DURING THE RESTART ATTEMPT. POST INVEST REVEALED THAT THE ACFT LANDED ON A HIWAY. DURING LNDG THE ACFT STRUCK A CURB, A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND A LIGHT POLE. THE ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP AFTER THE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACFT RT FUEL TANK HAD BEEN RUPTURED BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILLED. THE CREW WAS PRACTICING ILS APPROACHING WHEN THE ENG QUIT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,144 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 969 as pilot in command; 669 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 1988; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Ventures
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 1:10 am
- Destination: CYS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 9,199 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 25 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from CYS, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.