Cessna 210 accident near Palmyra, Pennsylvania, July 26, 1987
On July 26, 1987, a Cessna 210, registered N2317F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmyra, Pennsylvania (Reigle Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1987
- Place
- Palmyra, Pennsylvania · Reigle Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N2317F · no longer on the register · serial 21058517
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CESSNA 210 WAS CRUISING ENROUTE WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHICH THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED TO LOW FUEL/ EXHAUSTION. HE THEN ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH AT REIGLE FLD BUT WAS TOO LONG AND WENT AROUND. ON HIS SECOND APPROACH, HE WAS AGAIN HIGH AND LONG, AND WENT AROUND A SECOND TIME. ON DOWNWIND FOR HIS THIRD LANDING, THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN. THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A CORNFIELD.
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: 303 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,590 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WWD Wildwood NJ at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 58N Palmyra PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 1,950 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 4 |
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.