# Accident 19881224056159A: Cessna 310R, Madison, IN, December 24, 1988

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 24, 1988, 06:34 local time
- Place: Madison, IN
- Airport: Madison Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: AJKA
- Location: 38.7494° N, 85.3794° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7494&lon=-85.3794&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5121J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5121J-2013-08-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 310R (registry code 2074245, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 310R
- Reported engine: CONT IO520N
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 4,914 total, 220 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI89FA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89FA035) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881224056159A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

INDICATES PILOT FLEW INTO GROUND WHILE CIRCLING LOW TO LAND AFTER NIGHT VOR APPROACH. FAILED TO MONITOR ALTITUDE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI89FA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89FA035), Dec 24, 1988: Cessna 310R (N5121J), Madison, IN, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF IFR PROCEDURES IN DESCENDING BELOW THE MINIMUM DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE APPROACH TO A POINT WHERE COLLISION WITH TOWERS AND/OR WIRES BECAME POSSIBLE. HIS ABRUPT…

## Other reports on N5121J (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19810625048489I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810625048489I), Jun 25, 1981: Cessna 310R (N5121J), Arlington, TX, Minor damage. Failed to complete check list landed gear up. Landing gear horn was known inop prior to flight.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
