Cessna T210F accident near Phalen, California, February 19, 1995
On February 19, 1995 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna T210F, registered N6186R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phalen, California (Private Airstrip airport). 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 pilot's decision to continue the flight with a known mechanical discrepancy in the brake system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1995 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Phalen, California · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210F · all T210Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6186R · no longer on the register · serial T210-0086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE AT APPLE VALLEY HE NOTICED THAT THE LEFT BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. THE BRAKE HELD DURING RUN-UP AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO HIS AIRSTRIP WHERE HE HAD TOOLS AND BRAKE FLUID TO EXAMINE THE PROBLEM. DURING THE LANDING ON THE 2,600-FOOT-LONG AIRSTRIP RUNWAY, THE LEFT BRAKE DID NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT, COLLIDED WITH A BERM, AND NOSED OVER. THE APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT HAS SEVERAL FIXED-BASE OPERATORS WHO OFFER AIRCRAFT REPAIR SERVICES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APV Apple Valley CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N6186R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.