Cessna P210 accident near Olean, New York, April 18, 1991
On April 18, 1991 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Cessna P210, registered N90TL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olean, New York (Olean airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE AND THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1991 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Olean, New York · Olean · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210 · all P210s on the register
- Registration
- N90TL · registry record · serial P21000206
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT MADE A NOSE HIGH TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND DRAGGED THE TAIL SKID ON THE RUNWAY. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS HARD, AND WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK THE RUNWAY, IT COLLAPSED. THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED THE MISJUDGED LANDING TO LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN HIS RECENT FLYING EXPERIENCE AND HIS FAILURE TO PROPERLY COMPENSATE FOR A DOWNDRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 465 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 318 as pilot in command; 146 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 4,016 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P5B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Goode Aircraft Sales
The flight
- Departed from: 22G Elyria OH at 7:35 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 4,699 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC91LA118.