Cessna T210N accident near Creede, Colorado, August 6, 1998
On August 6, 1998 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N2WF, was destroyed in an accident near Creede, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying airspeed and the subsequent stall/spin. A contributing factor was high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1998 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Creede, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2WF · registry record · serial 21063787
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a flight to distribute the cremation ashes of the pilot's mother. Witnesses observed the airplane fly around the high altitude valley (elevation 10,400 feet, density altitude 11,864 feet) once and then spin to the ground. One witness observed a 'cloud of something' pass behind the airplane moments before it 'spun to the ground.' Records indicate that the pilot had accumulated a total of 441 hours of flight experience, with approximately 30 hours in the last 12 months. Toxicology tests on the pilot revealed that sertraline (trade name Zoloft, a non-approved drug for flight status) was present in his brain in levels several times higher than what would normally be expected from the maximum recommended dosage. A powder, which was light tan in color and gritty to the touch (similar to cremation ashes), was found throughout the cabin area.
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: 441 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,259 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1997; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V8 Center CO at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from GUC, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N2WF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.