Aviation Safety Network

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Status	Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date	Tuesday 4 July 1989
Time	12:54
Type	Cessna P210N
Operator	private
Registration	N5489W
MSN	P21000697
Year of manufature
Engines	Continental TSIO-520-P
Crew	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Passengers	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total occupants	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage	Destroyed
Location	Houma, LA United States of America
Phase	En route
Nature	Executive
Departure Airport	Houston, TX (HOU)
Destination Airport	Mobile, AL (MOB)
Narrative	THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS AND VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED BUT WAS NOT ACTIVATED. ENROUTE THE PILOT INFORMED ATC HE WAS DESCENDING FROM 11,500 FEET TO 9,500 FEET. ATC NOTICED A MODE C TRANSPONDER READOUT AT 7,500 FEET, AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PILOT BUT THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND. WINESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP DIVE BUT NONE SAW THE GROUND IMPACT. PARTS OF THE RIGHT WING WERE FOUND AS FAR AWAY AS ONE HALF MILE. RECOVERY OF THE ENGINE WAS AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 25 FEET. THE ROTOR OF THE ATTITUDE GYRO HAD ROTATIONAL DAMAGE MARKS. NO AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED AND TOXICOLOGY REPORT WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. PILOT'S WIFE INDICATED PILOT HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED 'VASOTIC' MEDICINE FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. CAUSE: INCAPACITATION OF THE 70 YEAR OLD PILOT, WHICH LED TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Oct-2008 10:30	ASN archive	Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]

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