Cessna T210N accident near Mission, Texas, February 5, 2003
On February 5, 2003 at about 2:46 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N4945Y, was destroyed in an accident near Mission, Texas. It was a business flight under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in his exceeding the airplane's design limitation. Contributing factors were the pilot's decision to fly the airplane with known deficiencies with the attitude indicator, and the failure of the attitude indicator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2003 · about 2:46 pm local time
- Place
- Mission, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4945Y · no longer on the register · serial 21064052
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The high-wing airplane suffered an in-flight breakup, while on a cross-country flight in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot received a weather briefing and filed an instrument flight plan for a cross-country that was to depart from the eastern part of Mexico and was destined for another Mexican city 318 miles west of the departure airport. The pilot was cleared for the flight along a victor airway that headed due west of the departure point. Radar data depicted the airplane parallel to, but north of the airway for the first few minutes of the flight. The airplane then drifted to the northwest and eventually crossed the U.S./Mexican border. The air traffic controllers discussed the airplane's position and whether or not they should notify the pilot he was off course. The controller asked the pilot to confirm his position, and was told, "let me see…we are on your radial…we have a problem with my [unintelligible]…let me check with my other radio." The pilot never reiterated what the problem was. Shortly after this communication, the airplane's mode C data depicted the airplane entering a right descending turn before disappearing from radar. The airplane wreckage was located ¼ mile north of the U.S./Mexican border. All of the airplane fracture surfaces and separated control cables were consistent with overload failures. The attitude indicator gyro and its housing did not display any evidence of rotation at the time of impact, unlike the horizontal situation indicator, which displayed heavy rotational scoring and gouging. No additional anomalies were observed; however, it should be noted that the cockpit sustained heavy impact and fire damage. The pilot records were not located during the investigation, and his total instrument time and instrument currency could not be determined. The maintenance records were destroyed in the accident; however, interviews with maintenance personnel indicated the pilot was aware of attitude indicator problems; however, he had not waited for maintenance to be conducted prior to taking the airplane on the accident flight.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,402 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 920 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MMTC Matamoros at 2:24 pm
- Destination: MMTC Torreon
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MFE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.