Cessna P210N accident near Cambridge, Idaho, January 2, 1997
On January 2, 1997 at about 9:34 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N6425W, was destroyed in an accident near Cambridge, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Flight into adverse weather and turbulence were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1997 · about 9:34 pm local time
- Place
- Cambridge, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6425W · no longer on the register · serial P21000775
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Weather information obtained by the pilot prior to departure indicated low ceilings and visibility with mountain obscurement due to clouds, precipitation and fog. Occasional moderate turbulence with moderate rime or mixed icing was also forecast. Another pilot flying in the area at the time of the accident reported observing 'very black clouds' that had a 'roll to them and moving fast.' That pilot also reported that the clouds looked 'very violent,' and stated that before he turned around to find another route, he was experiencing light to moderate turbulence, but was not picking up any ice below the cloud base. Radar data indicates that after departure the flight headed in a westerly direction. The radar indicates that the airplane made a left turn approximately 180 degrees and was experiencing rapid increasing and decreasing altitude changes before the airplane descended rapidly and dropped from radar coverage. The wreckage was located in mountainous terrain. Evidence indicates that the airplane collided with the terrain in a steep nose down attitude.
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: 1,310 hours in all; 1,121 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,207 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1996; 142 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-AF3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 9:15 pm
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from BKE, 48 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.