Cessna 210 accident near Baytown, Texas, February 5, 2008
On February 5, 2008, a Cessna 210, registered N968CC, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Baytown, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after flying into clouds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2008
- Place
- Baytown, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N968CC · registry record · serial 21064983
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated private pilot was on a 197-nautical mile cross-country flight. Weather forecast for the route of flight was for marginal weather conditions and visual flight rules (VFR) was not recommended. A review of the airplane's radar track shows the airplane's approach from the east, heading westbound. At about 1830 the airplane initiated a descent from 6,500 feet. Prior to disappearing from radar at 1844, the airplane made a single, descending "S" turn, beginning at an altitude of 2400 feet, and ending at the last radar plot at 1,100 feet. A witness, near the crash site, reported that the weather at the time of the crash was extremely foggy, with visibility less than a tenth of a mile. The accident pilot stated to an air traffic controller that he needed to perform a 180-degree turn, because he was not able to get [down through the weather]. The airplane's ground impact created approximately a 16-foot long, 7-foot wide, and 30-inch deep crater in the ground. The airplane was fragmented, with pieces of the airplane scattered along the wreckage path. Near the start of the wreckage path, several angular cuts were found on tree branches. Additionally, patches of vegetation near the initial impact area displayed signs of fuel contamination. An examination of the airplane failed to identify any pre-impact abnormalities with the aircraft. Analysis of the radar data, the pilot's air traffic control communication and the fragmentation of the airplane is consistent with an in-flight loss of control.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 614 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007; 60 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ARA New Iberia LA
- Destination: IWS Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 DFW08FA061.