History of Flight
On October 26, 2020, at 1558 central daylight time, a Cessna 210 airplane, registration N9622T, was destroyed in an accident near Lubbock, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan from Belen Regional Airport, New Mexico, to Corsicana Municipal Airport, Texas, but had diverted to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. Air traffic control recordings indicate the pilot had difficulty communicating. During the first two hours, he experienced icing conditions and requested lower altitudes multiple times. At 1454, he requested to divert to Lubbock for fuel considerations. At 1523, he reported being in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
The controller instructed the pilot to set up for the RNAV GPS Y approach to runway 35L. The pilot was unsure which approach to expect and was not in position to intercept the final approach course, so the controller vectored him east for the same approach from a different initial fix. The pilot reported icing and freezing rain.
After crossing the intermediate fix ZOVOC and turning inbound, groundspeed decreased from about 80 knots to about 50 knots. The pilot reported an autopilot issue. After crossing the final approach fix UFACI at about 4,700 feet mean sea level and 48 knots groundspeed, the airplane made a left turn south-southeast and descended. The flight track showed a continued descent and a sharp left turn before the data ended. No further communications were received.
Several witnesses observed the airplane appear to enter the beginning of a loop, then quickly descend to the ground. It impacted near a residence, and a postcrash fire ensued.
Personnel Information
Three days before the accident, the pilot flew the airplane from Nebraska to Belen, New Mexico. During that flight, he climbed to 11,000 feet to get above smoke. He told his girlfriend he felt sick during the flight, and she reported to a friend that the pilot was sick and miserable all weekend, experiencing queasiness, fatigue, dizziness, and general malaise. On the accident day, he told her he wanted to beat the weather. The pilot's flight logbooks were not found, so his recent and total IFR experience could not be determined. Close friends stated he was not a smoker and had not smoked for several years.
Aircraft Information
The pilot had purchased the airplane in Nebraska about three days before the accident. It was not equipped with anti-icing or de-icing capabilities and had no carbon monoxide detectors. The airplane was topped off with fuel on the morning of the accident. According to the Cessna 210 Owner’s Manual, with full fuel tanks, endurance exceeds 5 hours and range exceeds 800 statute miles. The maintenance logbook showed the exhaust system had been inspected during the last annual inspection, about 7 flight hours before the accident flight, and the airplane was deemed airworthy.
Meteorological Information
Archived ForeFlight data showed the pilot requested weather information for a planned flight at 11,000 feet at 1246, with a planned departure of 1255. The brief included current METARs, PIREPs, AIRMETs, and other products. The pilot accessed convective weather imagery at 0728 and 0758. No other weather requests were recorded. Precipitation in the accident region was very light, with light freezing drizzle reported at the surface. A center weather advisory and AIRMETs warned of freezing rain, freezing drizzle, light snow, and moderate or greater icing conditions. A Lubbock Police officer described the weather as cloudy and icy with mist.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a residential area about 200 yards from the final recorded ADS-B point. A postimpact fire consumed most of the fuselage and the inboard sections of each wing. Investigators found numerous ice chunks in the wreckage near the wings and ice attached to some leading-edge surfaces. The chunks were concave with a smooth inner surface, ranging from 1 to 2 inches thick. A postaccident examination revealed cracks in the cabin air heat exchanger's metal barrier separating exhaust gas from cabin air. The cracks exhibited corrosion and deposits consistent with being preexisting. No other mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicology testing on the pilot's cavity blood and urine detected amlodipine and phentermine. A carboxyhemoglobin level of 13% was found. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas produced by combustion. Nonsmokers normally have up to 3% carboxyhemoglobin; heavy smokers may have 10-15%. The pilot was a nonsmoker. Low CO levels can cause headache, nausea, and confusion; higher levels lead to severe impairment. Amlodipine, a blood pressure medication, is not considered impairing. Phentermine, a Schedule IV controlled substance for obesity treatment, carries a warning that it may impair ability to engage in hazardous activities.
Additional Information
In September 2017, the NTSB issued Safety Alert SA-069 warning pilots about carbon monoxide poisoning risks. The alert notes that pilots may overlook onset symptoms and not connect them with CO exposure, leading to impaired judgment and potential incapacitation.