| Crash location | 27.750000°N, 82.200000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Fort Meade, FL
27.752253°N, 81.801749°W 24.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N453MC |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 14 Jan 2004 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 210L |
| Additional details: | None |
On January 14, 2004, about 0630 eastern standard time, a Cessna 210L, N453MC, registered to and operated by a private individual, collided with a fence during takeoff from a private airstrip in Fort Meade, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight to Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Miami, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that during preflight of the airplane, he noticed fog which became heavier during the engine run-up before takeoff. During the engine run-up, the windshield started fogging up, which usually clears up when full power is applied. He thought about aborting the flight, but elected to takeoff. During the takeoff roll he concentrated on keeping the airplane "straight", but did not detect that the takeoff roll was not parallel to the runway. He observed a fence when the windshield cleared up and applied aft elevator control to clear the fence. The airplane impacted the fence then came to rest upright. He reported there was no mechanical malfunction or failure.
The failure of the pilot to abort the takeoff after encountering fog during the preflight and engine run-up, and also his failure to maintain proper alignment with the runway during the takeoff roll due to a fogged windshield resulting in the collision with a fence.