Cessna 210L accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, November 23, 1995
On November 23, 1995 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N5138Q, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Grand Canyon Natl Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's loss of aircraft control as a result of spatial disorientation. Factors were: the pilot's lack of experience in instrument and night flight conditions, inadequate transition/upgrade training, and the dark night light condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1995 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Grand Canyon Natl Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N5138Q · no longer on the register · serial 21059638
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
There were no witnesses to the nighttime departure accident. In response to an emergency locator transmitter signal, the aircraft was located 3/4 mile off the departure end of the runway. The aircraft had impacted level terrain in a nose-low, left wing-low attitude. Local pilots report that the departure area is devoid of lighting at night and is a black hole requiring flight by reference to instruments after takeoff. The recently licensed private pilot had trained in a Cessna 172 and had 3.2 hours of night flight time and 1 hour of simulated instrument flight time. His 20-flight-hour checkout in the accident aircraft, which was also his high performance aircraft checkout, was completed the day before the accident. The checkout was conducted in daylight, visual flight conditions, and did not include any actual or simulated instrument flight.
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: 87 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 23 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,614 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 1995; 175 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GCN at 3:00 am
- Destination: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 8,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 am from GCN, 1 miles away
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.