Cessna 210A accident near Lake Havasu, California, September 7, 1982
On September 7, 1982 at about 3:55 am local time, a Cessna 210A, registered N6652X, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Havasu, California. 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
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
- September 7, 1982 · about 3:55 am local time
- Place
- Lake Havasu, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210A · all 210As on the register
- Registration
- N6652X · no longer on the register · serial 21057652
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED LAKE HAVASU AIRPORT. FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED WEST AND CROSSED THE LAKE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER IMPACTED THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR SKY, AND WIND CALM.
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: 249 hours in all; 126 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,352 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Harasu AZ at 8:00 am
- Destination: Thermal CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 6,430 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 187°F (86°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.