Cessna T210N accident near Bellevue, Idaho, November 20, 2003
On November 20, 2003 at about 1:25 am local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N5244A, was destroyed in an accident near Bellevue, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above mountainous terrain while maneuvering during descent. Factors included the mountainous terrain, the high wind condition, and dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2003 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Bellevue, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5244A · registry record · serial 21063324
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane departed Boise, Idaho, about 1745 for a planned flight to Hailey, Idaho. No flight plan was filed for the flight. At 1816:27 the pilot contacted the Hailey tower and reported that he was ten west of the Hailey non-directional beacon, and at 1816:33 the controller instructed the pilot to report a 3 mile final for runway 31. At 1818:38 the pilot informed the controller, "...we're gonna do a three sixty out here and lose altitude if that's ok," which the controller approved. At 1823:22 the controller requested the pilot's position. The pilot replied he was about 5 miles from the field at 7,500 feet and "...getting set up again." At 1823:30 the controller cleared the flight to land on runway 31, and at 1823:34 the pilot made a partial reply of, "...clear ta..." There were no further communications with the pilot. At 2113 an ALNOT was issued for the missing aircraft. Approximately 1600 on November 24, 2003, the wreckage was located by local search and rescue personnel on the northeast side and 307 feet below the summit of Lookout Mountain, elevation 7,539 feet above mean sea level. Lookout Mountain is located about 6 nautical miles southeast of the Hailey airport. Terrain rises to 7,988 feet above mean sea level (MSL) within 5 nautical miles east of the accident site, and to 8,468 feet MSL within about 5 nautical miles north of the accident site. The airplane had impacted steep rising mountainous terrain on a southwesterly heading in a slightly right wing low, level pitch attitude. Investigators did not find any evidence of pre-impact mechanical or structural malfunctions of the aircraft during post-accident examinations. Dark night visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, with broken clouds at 11,000 feet MSL near the destination. The pilot of an aircraft in front of the accident aircraft reported that winds aloft and en route before turning onto the final approach course were at least 50 knots from the west and that while on final approach he had to hold a significant crab into the wind from the west to keep lined up with the runway. Another pilot in the area, a flight instructor, said he experienced a wind shear condition on final.
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: 1,350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,587.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 1:45 am
- Destination: SUN Hailey ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,700 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
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.