Cessna 210-5A accident near Jackpot, Nevada, March 6, 1994
On March 6, 1994 at about 11:06 am local time, a Cessna 210-5A, registered N4810U, was destroyed in an accident near Jackpot, Nevada (Jackpot Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft's flight path while maneuvering after takeoff in an area of no ground reference lights. Factors in the accident were the pilot's lack of instrument flight experience and the dark nighttime lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 1994 · about 11:06 am local time
- Place
- Jackpot, Nevada · Jackpot Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210-5A · all 210-5As on the register
- Registration
- N4810U · registry record · serial 205-0510
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident occurred during the hours of darkness and no moon was visible. The Jackpot airport is in an area of rolling hills and the only ground reference lights are in the immediate area of the runway and the adjacent casino. The pilot did not have an instrument rating. In his written statement, the pilot said that he did not experience a mechanical failure or malfunction. He reported that he lifted off runway 15 and began a 400-foot per minute climb at a normal airspeed, then began a left turn. The pilot stated that the attitude indicator was showing slightly less than a 20-degree bank turn as the heading indicator was going through 100 degrees when 'we dropped out of the sky.' An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot shortly after the accident. The pilot reported that as he initiated a crosswind turn after take off from runway 15, he lost visual reference with the horizon. No mechanical discrepancies were noted during an examination of the aircraft.
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: 320 hours in all; 219 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 264 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-S2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: GNG Gooding ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.