210 in flames at PDK

“It was taking off, went straight up, and it took a hard right and hit the ground.”

Oh no, not another one…
 
That’s terrible. It could very well be a simple seat spring. I cancelled a flight in my 210 two weeks ago because I couldn’t lock my seat. I ended up replacing both front seat locking springs; left seat broken, right seat worn and just old. Not something any of us even thinks about until it breaks.
 
“It was taking off, went straight up, and it took a hard right and hit the ground.”

Oh no, not another one…

This one said it was landing:

"The plane just came and landed and it bounced a bit and when it bounced, that's when it tipped on its side," he said.
 
This one said it was landing:

"The plane just came and landed and it bounced a bit and when it bounced, that's when it tipped on its side," he said.
Ah, ya eyewitness accounts are pretty unreliable most times…
 
This one said it was landing:

"The plane just came and landed and it bounced a bit and when it bounced, that's when it tipped on its side," he said.

Ah, ya eyewitness accounts are pretty unreliable most times…

It was taking off on an IFR flight plan to Ellington Field near Houston. P210N Silver Eagle with the Rolls-Royce turboprop.
 
I believe the plane was purchased just a month ago.
 
There’s a Twitter video, shows it taking off, leveling out a rollin over.
 
There’s a Twitter video, shows it taking off, leveling out a rollin over.

The start of the news story linked by the OP had it yesterday as well (haven’t looked today). Tough to make out, but looked like it was more or less level or in gradual climb, then suddenly rolled over (looked like left but hard to tell). Very odd looking.
 
Is there a gust lock on the 210??
It's pretty much impossible to even taxi with it in place. It locks the yoke, so any wind compensation will make it apparent. As would your preflight control check. And it can be removed in flight (we tested that!)
 
Last edited:
Interestingly, it looks like the plane underwent a pretty thorough overhaul earlier this year, based on the timestamps on some of those photos. One of the interior pics shows what appear to be fresh seat rails...

It is terrible to consider after the extensive overhaul, advanced avionics, and reliability of the turbine engine that an unlocked seat rail could turn out to be the culprit, but it very possible. Doing the “seat shuffle” is so vital it needs to be drilled into pilots. Had it happen once many years ago during a takeoff, but it locked into place with little travel and didn’t cause any further issue. With the intensity of the post crash fire, not sure there will be much evidence to go by.
 
Maybe I missed it in the video(s), but I didn’t see any big pitch-up…only a roll.

Did someone (besides the “eyewitness”) see anything to indicate an uncontrolled pitch event?
 
Ah, ya eyewitness accounts are pretty unreliable most times…

Apparently, it was an E-AB pressurized Cessna 210...

"Yeah, but: 'spins aren't really recoverable.'"

Ever see the video where the law professor has an undergrad run into a lecture hall wearing a gorilla costume? The students could not accurately recall the series of events.
 
Apparently, it was an E-AB pressurized Cessna 210...

"Yeah, but: 'spins aren't really recoverable.'"

Ever see the video where the law professor has an undergrad run into a lecture hall wearing a gorilla costume? The students could not accurately recall the series of events.
Yes I have, and that’s more or less my point.
 
I know there was an amateur photo guy in the area. I'm curious if anything he shot showed the flap position on takeoff and as the roll started.
 
I look at that video, as grainy as it is, and I see smoke billowing behind that airplane as it is taking off. The ascent rate seems very high to me too.
 
Maybe I missed it in the video(s), but I didn’t see any big pitch-up…only a roll.

Did someone (besides the “eyewitness”) see anything to indicate an uncontrolled pitch event?
That's what I saw too. Could it be as simple as not enough right rudder?
 
Sad to see this. I didn't know there was a turboprop conversion for the 210. I wonder what the TBOH is..
 
That video is absolutely worthless other than showing that it had a normal takeoff climb and then extreme left bank right before impact with the ground. There are better, sharper images of spacecraft landing on other planets and this is all we have here on Earth?

Given how quickly it "appears" to me that the plane rolled to the left, could this be a wake turbulence incident?
 
That’s terrible. It could very well be a simple seat spring. I cancelled a flight in my 210 two weeks ago because I couldn’t lock my seat. I ended up replacing both front seat locking springs; left seat broken, right seat worn and just old. Not something any of us even thinks about until it breaks.
Get the inertia reel seat stop. Cessna gave them away for free at one point
 
That's what I saw too. Could it be as simple as not enough right rudder?

The key is this is not a standard 210. If you consider the people onboard and the fuel he took on, I don’t think there’s any way he wasn’t over gross with CG way out of aft limits.

Combine that with turboprop power and the video makes a lot more sense.
 
Get the inertia reel seat stop. Cessna gave them away for free at one point
That giveaway stopped eight years ago. Retail cost of the kit for one seat is $1200. Installation is not included. I’ll settle for two new springs for $80, and check my seats before each flight, and during my annual.
 
Mars Camera, procured by a competitive govrnment bid $2.3.Billion.

First Bank camera procured for $1000 from local electronics store.
I mean, the point was illustrative. You can get a little doorbell camera for your house for under $1,000 that shoots in near 4K..
 
Back
Top