Cessna T210N accident near Indio, California, January 17, 1986
On January 17, 1986 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N222CL, was destroyed in an accident near Indio, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1986 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Indio, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N222CL · registry record · serial 21063607
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A 21 MI FLT FM HIS HOME ARPT TO THERMAL, CA, TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS & LNDGS. BFR DEPARTING, HE SUCCESSFULLYREAD BACK A VFR CLNC TO FLY OUT OF THE PALM SPRINGS TRSA. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE EN ROUTE TWD THE SE (TWD THE SUN,WHICH WAS 22 DEG ABV THE HRZN), HE TOLD THE CTLR THAT HAZE & SMOG WERE MAKING HIM DIZZY; HE SAID HE WOULD USE OXYGEN. SOON THEREAFTER, HE REQD VECTORS TO THE DESTN ARPT. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED, BUT THE ACFT CONTD EASTERLY TWD MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN (TRRN). THE PLT'S SPEECH SEEMED TO DETERIORATE AS HIS REPLIES BCM SHORTER & GARBLED. RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST APRX 8 MI NORTH OF THERMAL, WHERE THE ACFT IMPACTED RISING TRRN ABOUT 500' ABV THE VALLEY FLOOR. THERE WAS EVIDENCETHE ACFT CRASHED IN A NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE WX AT THERMAL WAS, IN PART: 25,000' SCATTERED, VIS 20 MI. ANOTHER PLT RPRTD THE TOP OF THE HAZE LAYER WAS AT 3000'. NO SPECIFIC MEDICAL CAUSE OR FACTOR WAS VERIFIED. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE WAS SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN SMELLS, SMOG & BRIGHT SUNLIGHT & THAT HE RECENTLY ACQUIRED A VIRUS & SEEMED TIRED.
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: 1,014 hours in all; 412 in this make and model; 857 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1985; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 4:56 pm
- Destination: TRM Thermal CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from TRM, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX86FA092.