Cessna T210N accident near Watsonville, California, July 22, 1983
On July 22, 1983 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N5517C, was destroyed in an accident near Watsonville, California (Watsonville airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- July 22, 1983 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5517C · no longer on the register · serial 63775
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT, WHO WAS A CONTRACTOR, WAS SCHEDULED TO ATTEND A HEAVY EQUIP'T AUCTION IN SACRAMENTO TO BEGIN A 1000. WITNESSES HEARD NORMAL ENG SOUNDS AS THE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 19 & TURNED TO A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE TURN. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED PROCEEDING ON A NE HEADING, PARALLELING HWY 152 AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL GOING STRAIGHT TOWARD WHERE IT ENDED UP ON A HILLSIDE. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING BENEATH THE CLOUDS & THEN ENTER THE CLOUDS IN A CLIMB NEAR THE BASE OF THE HILL. ARPT BASED PLTS DESCRIBED THE DEPARTURE AS ONE OF TWO 'BOOTLEG' IFR CLIMB PROCEDURES COMMONLY USED BY MANY LOCAL PLTS DURING LOW STRATUS CONDITIONS. THE PLT HAD BEEN OBSERVED USING THE 'HIGHWAY 152 CLIMB' MANY TIMES DURING THE PRECEEDING YEARS. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PLT ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN A 'POP-UP' IFR TO VFR CLEARANCE. THE PLT FLEW AN AVERAGE OF 2 HRS EACH WORKING DAY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 7,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,668 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 1983; 356 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SAC Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.