Cessna 210F accident near Pleasanton, California, May 21, 2015
On May 21, 2015 at about 3:57 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 210F, registered N1842F, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Pleasanton, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2015 · about 3:57 pm local time
- Place
- Pleasanton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210F, built 1966 · all 210Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1842F · no longer on the register · serial 21058742
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before beginning the cross-county flight under visual flight rules (VFR), the pilot received a weather briefing that reported VFR conditions at the departure and destination airports but included an airmen's meteorological information notice for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions along the route of flight. About 8 minutes after departure, recorded radar data showed the airplane's altitude varying between 321 and 635 ft above ground level (agl) for about 1.5 minutes before the impact. Until about 30 seconds before impact, the airplane was tracking south on course along a valley, but it then began to deviate west toward rising terrain. The airplane then began a slow, descending right turn. The last recorded radar target showed the airplane about 0.2 miles from the accident site, at an altitude of about 410 ft agl. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of weather observations and satellite imagery indicated that IFR conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site due to low clouds and restricted visibility. It is likely that the pilot was varying his altitude to remain clear of the clouds and subsequently entered an area where continued flight on course was not possible and initiated a right turn. During the turn, the airplane collided with rising terrain.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of visual reference during enroute (cruise)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,232.1 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,811.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 2015
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motorc Inc. IO-520-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Concord CA at 3:48 pm
- Destination: RHV San Jose CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KHWD, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N1842F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.