History of Flight
On January 31, 2014, at about 1317 central standard time, a Cessna 210E, registration N4957U, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a fire detection flight near Oden, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC) as a public-use aircraft. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area. The pilot filed a company visual flight rules flight plan. The airplane departed from Malvern Municipal Airport (M78), Malvern, Arkansas, at 1240 on a local fire detection flight.
The pilot originally scheduled for the flight cancelled due to sickness. The accident pilot was contacted on the morning of the accident and agreed to take the flight. He arrived at the airport at 1200 to check weather and preflight the airplane. He departed at 1240 to conduct a fire detection flight of Fire District 2 (D-2) using a predetermined route. The pilot reported his progress to the dispatch center, which provided flight following. He reported entering the eastern boundary of the forest district at 1253. At 1258, he reported checkpoint 2 at Mt. Ida, Arkansas. He then turned north toward checkpoint 1 at Danville, Arkansas. At 1303, he reported that he was 20 nautical miles from checkpoint 1 and was turning back due to low ceilings. At 1311, he reported being 3 nautical miles west of Oden, Arkansas, about 16 nautical miles southwest of his last reported position. No further radio transmissions were received. The accident site was about 13 nautical miles from the last reported position near Oden.
There were no witnesses. When the pilot did not check in with the dispatch center after 30 minutes, the center attempted to contact him. At 1431, the FAA's Flight Service Station was notified, and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center was alerted. Ground and aerial searches were conducted, but weather conditions hampered efforts for 11 days. The wreckage was located on February 11, 2014.
Pilot Information
The 33-year-old pilot held a commercial certificate with single-engine land, multi-engine land, and airplane instrument ratings. He was also a certificated flight instructor. On his FAA medical application on October 30, 2013, the pilot reported total flight time of 2,800 hours. His flight hours in the accident make and model were not determined. He held a first-class medical certificate. The AFC aviation manager reported that the pilot was hired as a full-time pilot in 2005 and flew for five years, then took another position. The manager estimated he flew 200 to 300 hours per year while full-time. He started flying part-time for AFC in 2013. The pilot was considered a very experienced fire surveillance pilot. The AFC did not keep flight records, so his accumulated time or time in specific aircraft could not be determined. The pilot held an instrument rating, but his instrument currency was not determined, as AFC fire surveillance flights required VFR only.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-engine Cessna 210E, manufactured in 1965, seating six with a maximum gross weight of 3,097 lbs. The engine was a 285-horsepower Continental IO-520-A5 with a McCauley propeller. The last annual maintenance inspection was on December 18, 2013. Total airframe time was 2,870 hours; engine time was 1,010.3 hours with 87.3 hours since the last top overhaul. The airplane was equipped for instrument flight, but AFC missions required VFR, so it was not maintained for instrument conditions and was limited to VFR only.
Meteorological Information
The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart showed a frontal boundary from northern Texas across northwestern Arkansas to southern Indiana, a low pressure center in central Oklahoma, and a high pressure center in eastern Alabama. The accident site was in an area favorable for clouds due to the frontal boundary and low pressure. Nearby weather observations at Hot Springs, Mount Ida, and Mena airports reported overcast ceilings between 500 and 1,700 feet with visibility of 7 to 10 miles. The NTSB weather specialist reported that wind profiles indicated low-level wind shear and clear air turbulence were likely, especially in areas of visible wave clouds oriented east to west. An AFC pilot flying in north central Arkansas observed wave clouds and estimated their base at about 2,400 feet. Another AFC pilot flew to the accident area later and estimated cloud ceilings at 2,000 feet with no visibility restrictions.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane initially hit treetops near a ridgeline at elevation 1,473 feet in a remote forest with steep terrain. The outboard 8-foot section of the left wing separated due to overload. The main wreckage was located 0.3 mile south at elevation 686 feet. The engine, propeller, right wing, remaining left wing, fuselage, and empennage were at the main site. A ground fire consumed the nose, instrument panel, cockpit, and cabin. The wings and empennage exhibited aft crushing and buckling consistent with a steep, nose-down impact. Control cable continuity was established for rudder and elevator; aileron cables were intact with overload separations. The propeller remained attached, but one hub socket was fractured; the recovered blade showed bending, twisting, gouges, and chordwise scarring.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was conducted on February 13, 2014, at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. Cause of death was multiple injuries from the accident. A forensic toxicology report by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for ethanol; carbon monoxide and cyanide tests were not performed. Nortriptyline was detected in the liver. The FAA medical certification file indicated the pilot had chronic knee pain treated with acetaminophen and unspecified NSAIDs. The FAA aviation medical examiner determined the knee pain did not impair safe operation and issued a medical certificate without limitations. Personal medical records showed the pilot also used tramadol, meloxicam, and increasing doses of nortriptyline. No evidence of natural disease was found.
Tests and Research
The engine was examined at Continental Motors on May 6, 2014, under NTSB oversight. The crankcase and cylinders were intact with thermal damage from the ground fire. The power section was intact with no internal heat distress or preexisting mechanical damage. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Engine accessories exhibited impact and thermal damage consistent with the ground impact and fire.