Cessna P210R accident near Arnett, Oklahoma, June 3, 1987
On June 3, 1987 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna P210R, registered N5488A, was destroyed in an accident near Arnett, Oklahoma. It was a business 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 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
- June 3, 1987 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arnett, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210R · all P210Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5488A · no longer on the register · serial P21000858
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT DEPARTED BATON ROUGE (BTR) FOR THE PLTS STATED DEST OF ALEXANDRIA, WHICH WAS 78 MILES ON A BEARING OF 301 DEG, AT 0836 CDT. AFTER DEP THE BTR LOCAL AREA THERE WAS NO RADIO CONTACT WITH ANY ATC FACILITY. THE TRANSPONDER CONTINUED TO TRANSMIT A CODE 1200 UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1145:32 CDT. IMPACT OCCURRED DURING A POWER-OFF UNCONTROLLED DESCENT APRX 3 HRS AND 24 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF ABOUT 310 DEG AND 520 NAUTICAL MILES FROM BTR. THERE WERE NO DEVIATIONS FROM THAT COURSE. ONLY A TRACE OF UNUSABLE FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE WITH NONE DISCOVERED IN FUEL LINES. LINE OF SIGHT DISTANCE CALCULATIONS FROM ATC SITES REVEALED THAT THE ACFT ACHIEVED AN ALTITUDE OF AT LEAST 12,800 FT. ACFT SPEED CHANGES FROM RECORDED RADAR DATA AND PERFORMANCE INFO FROM THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE ACFT CLIMBED TO AN ALT OF APRX 18,685 FT MSL. THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION AND ONBOARD OXYGEN WAS NOT UTILIZED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1987; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-LE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 1:36 pm
- Destination: ESF Alexandria LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from GAG, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.