Plane Crash List

Cessna 310C N310CD

23 October 2015 · Primm, Nevada, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 23 October 2015 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 310C registered N310CD was involved in an accident near Primm, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 17:15
Classification
Accident
Location
Primm, Nevada, United States
Coordinates
35.5872, -115.4636
Aircraft
Cessna 310C
Registration
N310CD
Category
Airplane
Year built
1959
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Henderson → Henderson
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
WPR16LA016

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 0 0 3

Probable cause

The inadequate visual lookout by the pilots of both airplanes, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the pilots' failure to tune to, monitor, and communicate over the common traffic advisory frequency their relative positions while in the training area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Both the multi-engine airplane and the single-engine airplane were maneuvering in the local practice area at 6,500 ft mean sea level. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction on board the multi-engine airplane were performing an introductory/familiarization flight. The flight instructor reported that the airplane was on a northwesterly heading when he observed a small dot in front of him; he then saw an approaching airplane just before impact. He stated that the pilot receiving instruction, who was controlling the airplane at the time, made a slight nose-down input just before the collision. After assessing the damage as a jammed rudder, the flight instructor elected to proceed back to the departure airport, where he landed the airplane uneventfully. The private pilot of the single-engine airplane stated that, while performing engine power checks on a southwesterly heading and while in a left turn, he heard a loud bang. He subsequently observed another airplane flying away from his position and then heard a radio transmission on the departure airport's tower frequency, advising that the pilot had been involved in a midair collision. The airplane then experienced a total loss of engine power, and the pilot subsequently performed an uneventful forced landing on a dry lake bed. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right forward wing root area, which compromised the fuel system and resulted in the subsequent loss of engine power. The practice area where the accident occurred was used widely for training flights, and pilots operating in the area typically monitored the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) of a nearby, non-tower-controlled airport. The pilots of both accident airplanes, however, were only monitoring the tower frequency of their departure airport. Had the pilots of both airplanes been more vigilant in scanning for potential traffic in the area while maneuvering, as well as monitoring and communicating their positions on the CTAF frequency, the midair collision would most likely have not occurred.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Aircraft involved

Aircraft Registration Operator Damage
Cessna 310C C N310CD - Substantial
Piper PA 28R-200 200 N9475N - Substantial

Other Cessna 310 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
6 Nov 2015 Cessna 310
VH-BWZ
Mildura, Australia, Australia - Fatal 1
21 Mar 2015 Cessna 310Q
N7770Q
St. George, Utah, United States - No injuries -
13 Dec 2015 Cessna 310
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Kennesaw, Georgia, United States - No injuries -
26 Aug 2015 Cessna 310R
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Titusville, Florida, United States - Fatal 1
10 Oct 2015 Cessna 310J
N3123L
Tucson, Arizona, United States Leading Edge Aviation Inc No injuries -
5 Sep 2015 Cessna 310H
N1099Q
Silverton, Colorado, United States - Fatal 4

All 1,745 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
11 Feb 2015 Cessna 185-E
N185NV
Carson City, Nevada, United States Andrew T Hoffman No injuries -
29 Jul 2015 Experimental Amat Built KITFOX III
N991RK
Jackpot, Nevada, United States - No injuries -
22 Jun 2015 Piper PA 32R-301
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Boulder City, Nevada, United States Harry Silsby MD P C No injuries -
21 Sep 2015 Piper PA 32-260
N3354W
Jackpot, Nevada, United States - No injuries -
18 Oct 2015 Bell 47G
N73224
Searchlight, Nevada, United States US Helicopter LLC. No injuries -
23 Sep 2015 Piper PA 28
N56897
Elko, Nevada, United States - Serious injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States