Cessna 210L accident near Brackettville, Texas, December 26, 1996
On December 26, 1996 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N30891, was destroyed in an accident near Brackettville, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude and/or clearance from terrain, while on a cross-country flight at night. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, the prevailing low ceilings, and mountainous/hilly terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1996 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Brackettville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N30891 · no longer on the register · serial 21059972
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the northwest facing slope of a ridge at an elevation of 1,950 feet MSL, while configured for cruise flight. This occurred as the noninstrument-rated private pilot was returning home on a night VFR flight over hilly and sparsely populated terrain. Low ceilings prevailed throughout the area. The pilot's instructor stated that the pilot knew the area well, and that he was aware of the rising terrain. The flight instructor recalled that he talked to the pilot on the afternoon of the accident, and after discussing the worsening weather conditions, he encouraged the pilot to stay in Del Rio that night. The pilot was in real estate business. The flight instructor believed the pilot felt pressured to get home that evening, because he had a nine o'clock appointment the next morning in Austin to inspect a property that he had sold. The flaps and landing gear were found in the retracted position. The elevator trim was found in the neutral position. No evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
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: 236 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,089 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1996; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DRT Del Rio TX at 1:00 am
- Destination: AUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from DLF, 47 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.