Cessna 210M accident near Elliston, Virginia, June 3, 1997
On June 3, 1997 at about 8:58 pm local time, a Cessna 210M, registered N9162M, was destroyed in an accident near Elliston, Virginia (Roanoke Regional/Woodrum airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the PIC to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 1997 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- Elliston, Virginia · Roanoke Regional/Woodrum · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210M · all 210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9162M · no longer on the register · serial 21062066
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner filed an instrument flight plan, listed himself as the pilot-in-command (PIC), and departed on an instrument proficiency flight with two passengers, who were both certified flight instructors (CFIs). The airplane was vectored for an LDA Runway 6 Approach in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and all radio communications were normal. The airplane was observed on radar turning away from the final approach course. No further communications were received from the airplane, and it descended below radar coverage. A witness on the ground observed the airplane exit and reenter the clouds, then heard a reduction in engine power. The airplane descended from the base of the clouds, in a nose down vertical descent, with the wings intact. Engine noise was heard to increase, followed by a 'swoosh' and bang. The 70-year old PIC had neither scheduled the flight with the employer of the CFIs nor was he listed on the their schedule. The 22-year old CFI rated passenger (seated in the front) had been a full-time college student until the previous month. His total flight experience was 340 hours, of which, 24 hours were as a CFI; and he had no experience in the make and model of airplane or with the PIC.
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: 2,911 hours in all; 1,190 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 2,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,579 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 1997; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROA Roanoke VA at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 6,802 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from ROA, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.