Cessna T210L accident near Penasco, New Mexico, October 25, 1989
On October 25, 1989 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210L, registered N93110, was destroyed in an accident near Penasco, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN (AND/OR UNDERSTAND) WIND ALOFT INFORMATION, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE TYPE OF OPERATION (MOUNTAIN FLYING), A DOWNDRAFT, AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1989 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Penasco, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210L · all T210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N93110 · no longer on the register · serial 21060265
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & PASSENGERS WERE ON A PERSONAL SIGHTSEEING FLT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF THE PLT RECEIVING A WX BRIEFING OR A FORECAST OF WINDS ALOFT. THE WINDS AT 9000 & 12,000 FT WERE FORECAST TO VARY BETWEEN 200 & 210 DEG AT 25 KTS. THE PLT SAID HE HAD NOT FLOWN IN MTNS AROUND PENASCO, EXCEPT TO FLY OVER THEM AT HIGH ALTITUDE.WHILE FLYING ON AN EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING, NORTH OF JICARITA PEAK, THE ACFT HIT TREES, CRASHED & BURNED ON RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 11,500 FT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. TWO WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT BEFORE IT CRASHED. ONE SAID IT WAS FLYING SVRL HUNDRED FT ABOVE THE TREELINE, THE OTHER ESTIMATED IT WAS AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL. BOTH HEARD THE ENG 'REV UP' BEFORE THE ACDNT. ONE WITNESS NOTED A STORM WAS APCHG IN THE DISTANCE. THE PLT RPRTD THE ACFT WAS IN A CLIMB AT 130 TO 140 KTS, WHEN IT BEGAN DSCNDG. HE COULD NOT RECALL THE ACDNT, BUT AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS LEVELED BEFORE IT HIT TREES ON ABOUT 5 DEG RISING TERRAIN.
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: 990 hours in all; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,726 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAM Los Alamos NM at 1:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from LVS, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.