Cessna 210 accident near Stuart, Florida, December 16, 2005
On December 16, 2005 at about 5:00 am local time, a Cessna 210, registered N41805, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Witham Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2005 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Witham Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N41805 · registry record · serial P21000295
- 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 when he was at 2,000 feet above the airport, the controller in the airport tower requested him to complete several turns to get on a downwind for runway 30. In the attempt to expedite the landing, due to an airplane waiting to takeoff, he was low turning final to line up with the runway, lost control and stalled. A witness stated that upon arriving at the airport he saw the accident airplane gaining altitude, it banked left while still climbing, then it appeared to stall, at an altitude of about 400 feet , and fell to the ground rapidly. He could not determine if the airplane was taking off or landing, although he did see it change direction 180 degrees. When he arrived at the accident site, the female passenger was walking around a bit disoriented, stating that the pilot picked the wrong runway. The airport manager stated that it appeared the airplane tried to turn around 180 degrees and went into a tail spin. The responding FAA Inspector stated that the pilot was attempting an approach to runway 30. The right wing first contacted the ground followed by the right main gear. The left main gear contacted at about the same time the right main gear and the nose gear collapsed. It was at this point that the propeller assembly struck the ground and departed the airplane. The airplane continued down the debris field on the left main gear, nose cowling, and right fuselage. A gap in the ground scars supports that the airplane may have bounced back in the air for approximately five or ten feet down the debris path. The left wingtip struck the ground 160 feet down the debris path. The flap position indicator was at 20 degrees and appeared to coincide with the indicator. The pilot stated to the FAA inspector that on his approach, his turn was wide when he attempted to salvage the landing, when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 1,950 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Daytona FL
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 5,826 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:20 pm from SUA
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.