The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB LAX86LA357 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Cessna 210N accident near Douglas, Arizona, September 26, 1986

On September 26, 1986 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 210N, registered N5340U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Douglas, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 26, 1986 · about 6:00 pm local time
Place
Douglas, Arizona · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Cessna 210N · all 210Ns on the register
Registration
N5340U · no longer on the register · serial 21064873
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

THE ACFT WAS FOUND ABANDONED 25 MILES WEST OF DOUGLAS, ARIZONA. A LANDING WAS MADE ON A DIRT ROAD WHERE THE ACFT CONTACTED A DITCH AND NOSED OVER. THE ACFT WAS REPORTED STOLEN AND THE PLT WAS NOT LOCATED. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TRACES OF ILLEGAL CONTRABAND WERE FOUND IN THE ACFT.

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

  • Medical certificate: Unknown
  • Seat: unk

The aircraft

  • Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
  • Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
  • Seats: 6
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: Continental TSIO-520-R (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 0

Weather at the time

  • Light: not reported
  • Sky: clear
  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1

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.