Cessna P210R accident near Palo Alto, California, November 18, 2005
On November 18, 2005 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna P210R, registered N6122A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palo Alto, California (Palo Alto airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged altitude and distance, which resulted in an overrun, and his failure to execute a timely go-around during the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2005 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Alto, California · Palo Alto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210R · all P210Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6122A · registry record · serial P21000867
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a perimeter fence during an aborted landing. The air traffic controller requested that the pilot conduct "S" turns to provide spacing for a departing airplane. The pilot complied with the request but ended up landing long on the 2,443-foot runway. He elected to abort the landing when he realized there was not enough remaining runway to stop; however, the airplane did not accelerate adequately for takeoff and the airplane overran the runway. The pilot reported there were no anomalies with the airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,400 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 185 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,461.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,505 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-CE1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POC Laverne CA at 4:50 pm
- Destination: PAO Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,443 ft by 73 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
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.
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.