Cessna 210L accident near Fort Meade, Florida, January 14, 2004
On January 14, 2004 at about 11:30 am local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N453MC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Meade, Florida. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to abort the takeoff after encountering fog during the preflight and engine run-up, and also his failure to maintain proper alignment with the runway during the takeoff roll due to a fogged windshield resulting in the collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2004 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Fort Meade, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N453MC · registry record · serial 21059844
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during preflight of the airplane, he noticed fog which became heavier during the engine run-up before takeoff. During the engine run-up, the windshield started fogging up, which usually clears up when full power is applied. He thought about aborting the flight, but elected to takeoff. During the takeoff roll he concentrated on keeping the airplane "straight", but did not detect that the takeoff roll was not parallel to the runway. He observed a fence when the windshield cleared up and applied aft elevator control to clear the fence. The airplane impacted the fence then came to rest upright. He reported there was no mechanical malfunction or failure.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,245 hours in all; 1,857 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FL at 6:30 am
- Destination: KTMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,200 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 am from LAL, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA04CA040.