Cessna 210D accident near Covington, Louisiana, September 26, 1989
On September 26, 1989 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 210D, registered N3962Y, was destroyed in an accident near Covington, Louisiana (Covington-St Tammany airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER INFORMATION PROVIDED DURING TWO BRIEFINGS AND HIS DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDTIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF NIGHT AND INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1989 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Covington, Louisiana · Covington-St Tammany
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210D · all 210Ds on the register
- Registration
- N3962Y · no longer on the register · serial 21058462
- 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 RECEIVED PREFLIGHT AND EN ROUTE WEATHER BRIEFINGS WHICH INDICATED THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO HIS DESTINATION. WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS LOW CEILINGS AND FOG WITH ABOUT 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AT THE 85' LEVEL WHILE IN A DESCENDING, WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 14 HOURS NIGHT TIME AND 2 HOURS OF HOOD TIME. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE, POWERPLANT, OR THEIR ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS.
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
- Flight time: 192 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 148 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,653 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 12, 1988; 295 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3XS7 Houston TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: LA08
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.