Cessna 210K accident near Topanga, California, June 12, 1997
On June 12, 1997 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Cessna 210K, registered N8276M, was destroyed in an accident near Topanga, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper VFR altitude over mountainous terrain obscured by clouds, and his intentional descent into instrument meteorological weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1997 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Topanga, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210K · all 210Ks on the register
- Registration
- N8276M · no longer on the register · serial 21059276
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument-rated pilot was familiar with the Los Angeles basin area. The weather was overcast with tops reported in excess of 5,600 feet. The pilot was receiving radar flight following service as he descended in a southerly direction toward his destination, and he informed the controller that he was 'looking for a hole.' The pilot then requested a special VFR clearance through the clouds; a request which was denied by the controller. Upon reaching 6,000 feet, he headed toward the ocean, informed the controller that he observed a 'little hole,' and requested that the controller monitor his progress 'in case I do have to go in.' The controller advised the pilot to maintain VFR. The pilot continued descending and reported that it was hazy, he was still VFR, and he thought he could make it. At 1211:47, the controller informed the pilot that he would be losing radar coverage because the airplane was descending below the mountain range. The pilot acknowledged the transmission at 1211:55. Radar data indicated at the time the airplane was descending through about 2,700 feet; its ground speed was 163 knots; and it was tracking 103 degrees toward the airport. Thirteen seconds later radar contact was lost. The airplane impacted the mountainside at 2440 feet, on a 101-degree bearing and 10 miles from Santa Monica, in a nearly level, 20-degree banked turn. A patrolling sheriff's officer indicated that at the time clouds obscured the mountainside.
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: 2,962 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VIS Visalia CA at 6:10 pm
- Destination: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.