Cessna 210D accident near Ashland, Virginia, July 26, 2000
On July 26, 2000 at about 4:28 am local time, a Cessna 210D, registered N3894Y, was destroyed in an accident near Ashland, Virginia. 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 failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Factors were the dark night, low ceiling and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2000 · about 4:28 am local time
- Place
- Ashland, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210D · all 210Ds on the register
- Registration
- N3894Y · no longer on the register · serial 210-58394
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed at night, on an instrument flight plan, in a GPS-equipped airplane. The weather conditions included low ceilings and fog. The clearance he received prior to departure differed from his filed route, and once airborne, he received a further revision. The airplane continued to climb, but the pilot did not follow the revised clearance. Twice, the radio was keyed, with no voice transmission heard. Radar data indicated that the airplane climbed to 4,300 feet, and then entered a steep, descending right turn. Several witnesses heard the airplane descending at high power. One witness saw the lights illuminated on the airplane prior to ground impact. No evidence of a pre-existing failure was found with the engine or airframe. The pilot's total flight experience was about 300 hours, with 50 hours in the accident airplane. His recency of instrument experience and night flight was not determined.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 195 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1999; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OFP at 4:23 am
- Destination: LDJ Linden NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:08 am from OFP
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.