Cessna 210 accident near Apalachicola, Florida, November 30, 2018
On November 30, 2018 at about 11:05 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 210, registered N3995Y, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Apalachicola, Florida (Apalachicola Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's controlled flight into terrain as a result of his spatial disorientation during departure in dark nighttime conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2018 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Apalachicola, Florida · Apalachicola Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 D, built 1964 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N3995Y · no longer on the register · serial 21058495
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot had departed on the second leg of a cross-country flight just after the end of civil twilight. Another pilot approaching the airport from the west reported seeing the airplane as it departed to the east and communicating with the pilot over the radio. Soon afterward, the other pilot observed a fireball. The wreckage was subsequently found in a remote, unlit marsh about 2 miles north of the airport. The pilot did not make any distress calls over the radio. Examination of the wreckage and accident site indicated a high-energy, near-wings-level impact at a shallow descent angle, which was consistent with controlled flight into terrain. The landing gear was down, and the flaps were up. The wreckage examination revealed no evidence of a preaccident mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. The accident occurred at the end of civil twilight, and, because of the cloud cover, no moon would have been visible. The lack of external lighting cues as the pilot took off over an area with no lights would have been conducive to the development of spatial disorientation. The pilot likely experienced a vestibular illusion and/or spatial disorientation and allowed the airplane to descend into the marsh under controlled flight. The pilot's diabetes was well controlled and thus not a factor in this accident. Toxicology testing revealed the pilot's use of venlafaxine, an antidepressant. The cognitive impairment associated with depression could have made the pilot more susceptible to spatial disorientation and less able to recognize the situation and respond quickly. However, given the available evidence, the investigation could not determine whether cognitive impairment related to depression contributed to 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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb defining event
- Explosion (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,205 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,083 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 2018; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,097 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520A(35) (piston); 902 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: AAF Apalachicola FL at 11:03 pm
- Destination: FMY Fort Myers FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 5,271 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KAAF, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
22 documents, released by the NTSB on June 8, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.