# Accident 20010422007929A: Cessna 310F, Carmel Valley, CA, April 22, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 22, 2001, 11:10 local time - Place: Carmel Valley, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.3892° N, 121.6503° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3892&lon=-121.6503&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5834X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5834X-2002-01-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 310F (registry code 2074216, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental I0-470 series (registry code 17027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 310F - Reported engine: CONT IO470D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 11,444 total, 413 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01FA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA152) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010422007929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON APRIL 22, 2001, AT 1108 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 310F, N5834X, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF CARMEL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE MONTEREY PENINSULA AIRPORT AT 1105. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE, THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT MONTEREY FROM CARSON CITY, NEVADA, ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN. UPON ARRIVAL AT MONTEREY, THE PILOT REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE FROM VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP AND EXECUTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND LANDING AT MONTEREY; LANDING ABOUT 1030. ACCORDING TO A PRELIMINARY TRANSCRIPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AT 1052:53, THE PILOT CONTACTED MONTEREY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. THE TOWER ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO THE "SALINAS VOR [NAVIGATIONAL AIDE] VIA THE SECA 2 DEPARTURE, CLIMB TO AND REPORT REACHING VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP, IF NOT ON TOP BY 6,000 [FEET] MAINTAIN 6,000 AND ADVISE, TOPS LAST REPORTED 2,300 [FEET], DEPARTURE FREQUENCY WILL BE 133.0, [TRANSPONDER] SQUAWK WILL BE ASSIGNED." THE PILOT READ BACK THE CLEARANCE BUT OMITTED THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE IN THE READ-BACK. THE CONTROLLER RESTATED, "YOUR ALTITUDE IS 6,000." THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED "6,000." AT 1100:05, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISSUED A TAXI CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 10R AND WAS GIVEN A TRANSPONDER CODE OF 4565. AT 1104:45, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 10R. AT 1107:00, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED TO THE AIRCRAFT THAT HE WAS NOT RECEIVING THE AIRCRAFT'S TRANSPONDER. AT 1107:20, THE TOWER TRANSMITTED "I'VE GOT YOUR TRANSPONDER NOW, CONTACT DEPARTURE [CONTROL]." AT 1107:56, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED "MONTEREY, TWIN CESSNA 5834 XRAY IS WITH YOU (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 2,000." AT 1108:04, THE MONTEREY APPROACH CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "LAST CALL TO MONTEREY WAS THAT TWIN CESSNA 5834 XRAY?" AT 1108:06, THE PILOT REPLIED "34 XRAY." AT 1108:10, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "NOVEMBER 34 XRAY VERIFY YOU'RE FLYING THE SECA 2 DEPARTURE, SAY ALTITUDE." AT 1008:13, THE PILOT REPLIED "2,200 CLIMBING." AT 1108:14, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "ARE YOU CANCELING IFR AND ON TOP NOW VFR, YOU'RE SOUTHBOUND NOVEMBER 34X, RADAR CONTACT 5 MILES EAST OF MONTEREY." AT 1108:28, THE PILOT REPLIED "WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO BREAK OUT HERE A LITTLE BIT." AT 1108:30, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "34 XRAY YOU'RE HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARDS HIGHER TERRAIN TURN NORTHBOUND IMMEDIATELY IF YOU'RE NOT VFR." AT 1108:40, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "NOVEMBER 34 XRAY ARE YOU ON TOP?" THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SECA 2 DEPARTURE PROCEDURE STATES (IN PART) "TAKE-OFF RUNWAY 10L/R: CLIMB VIA HEADING 096 [DEGREES] AND INTERCEPT THE SNS [SALINAS NAVIGATIONAL AIDE] R-210 TO SNS VORTAC, THENCE VIA ASSIGNED ROUTE, MAINTAIN 6,000 [FEET]. EXPECT CLEARANCE TO FILED ALTITUDE 5 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE." A REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY RECORDED RADAR FLIGHT PATH DATA PROVIDED BY THE FAA'S SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE SHOWS THAT, AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED APPROXIMATELY ON A 100-DEGREE (MAGNETIC) HEADING, UNTIL CROSSING THE SALINAS VORTAC 210 RADIAL, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT TRACK TURNED RIGHT TO APPROXIMATELY A 160-DEGREE HEADING AND THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON THAT HEADING UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ON A SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPE IN THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE, 6.6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MONTEREY PENINSULA AIRPORT. THE POSITION WAS AT LATITUDE 36 DEGREES 30.9 MINUTES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 121DEGREES 44.4 MINUTES WEST (GPS). THE ELEVATION WAS 1,700 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL, GPS). THE LOCAL MOUNTAIN SLOPE WAS ABOUT 45 DEGREES DOWNWARD TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE SITE, THE MOUNTAIN ROSE STEEPLY TO A RIDGELINE ABOUT 2,000 FEET MSL. THE CARMEL VALLEY, EXTENDING EAST-WEST TO THE COAST, WAS VISIBLE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN ABOUT 1 MILE TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. (-23)ON APRIL 22, 2001, N5834X A CESSNA CE-310F, DEPARTED MONTEREY (MRY) AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1104 LOCAL TIME ON AN IFR DEPARTURE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1108 THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 6.6 MILES EAST OF AIRPORT. THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON APRIL 22, 2001, AT 1108 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 310F, N5834X, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAI N, 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF CARMEL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE MONTEREY PENINSULA AIRPORT AT 1105. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE, THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT MONTEREY FROM CARSON CITY, NEVADA, ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN. UPON ARRIVAL AT MONTEREY, THE PILOT REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE FROM VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP AND EXECUTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND LANDING AT MONTEREY; LANDING ABOUT 1030. ACCORDING TO A TRANSCRIPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AT 1052:53, THE PILOT CONTACTED MONTEREY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AND REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. THE TOWER ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO THE "SALINAS VOR [NAVIGATIONAL AIDE] VIA THE SECA 2 DEPARTURE, CLIMB TO AND REPORT REACHING VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP, IF NOT ON TOP BY 6,000 [FEET] MAINTAIN 6,000 AND ADVISE, TOPS LAST REPORTED 2,300 [FEET], DEPARTURE FREQUENCY WILL BE 133.0, [TRANSPONDER] SQUAWK WILL BE ASSIGNED." THE PILOT READ BACK THE CLEARANCE BUT OMITTED THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE IN THE READ-BACK. THE CONTROLLER RESTATED, "YOUR ALTITUDE IS 6,000." THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED "6,000." AT 1100:05, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISSUED A TAXI CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 10R AND WAS GIVEN A TRANSPONDER CODE OF 4565. AT 1104:45, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 10R. AT 1107:00, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED TO THE AIRCRAFT THAT HE WAS NOT RECEIVING THE AIRCRAFT'S TRANSPONDER. AT 1107:20, THE TOWER TRANSMITTED "I'VE GOT YOUR TRANSPONDER NOW, CONTACT DEPARTURE [CONTROL]." AT 1107:56, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED "MONTEREY, TWIN CESSNA 5834 XRAY IS WITH YOU (UNINTELLIGIBLE) 2,000." AT 1108:04, THE MONTEREY APPROACH CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "LAST CALL TO MONTEREY WAS THAT TWIN CESSNA 5834 XRAY?" AT 1108:06, THE PILOT REPLIED "34 XRAY." AT 1108:10, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "NOVEMBER 34 XRAY VERIFY YOU'RE FLYING THE SECA 2 DEPARTURE, SAY ALTITUDE." AT 1108:13, THE PILOT REPLIED "2,200 CLIMBING." AT 1108:14, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "ARE YOU CANCELING IFR AND ON TOP NOW VFR, YOU'RE SOUTHBOUND NOVEMBER 34X, RADAR CONTACT 5 MILES EAST OF MONTEREY." AT 1108:28,THE PILOT REPLIED "WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO BREAK OUT HERE A LITTLE BIT." AT 1108:30, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "34 XRAY YOU'RE HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARDS HIGHER TERRAIN TURN NORTHBOUND IMMEDIATELY IF YOU'RE NOT VFR." AT 1108:40, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED "NOVEMBER 34 XRAY ARE YOU ON TOP?" THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE SECA 2 DEPARTURE PROCEDURE STATES (IN PART) "TAKE-OFF RUNWAY 10L/R: CLIMB VIA HEADING 096 [DEGREES] AND INTERCEPT THE SNS [SALINAS NAVIGATIONAL AIDE] R-210 TO SNS VORTAC, THENCE VIA ASSIGNED ROUTE, MAINTAIN 6,000 [FEET]. EXPECT CLEARANCE TO FILED ALTITUDE 5 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE." A REVIEW OF RECORDED RADAR FLIGHT PATH DATA PROVIDED BY THE FAA'S SOUTHWEST REGION QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICE SHOWS THAT, AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED APPROXIMATELY ON A 100-DEGREE (MAGNETIC) HEADING, UNTIL CROSSING THE SALINAS VORTAC 210 RADIAL, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT TRACK TURNED RIGHT TO APPROXIMATELY A 160-DEGREE HEADING AND THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON THAT HEADING UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE AT 1108:53. BETWEEN 1107:15 AND 1108:30, THE AIRPLANE'S MODE C ALTITUDE DECREASED FROM 2,200 FEET, DOWN TO 1,800 FEET, AND THEN INCREASED BACK UP TO 2,200 FEET. BETWEEN 1108:30 AND 1108:45, THE ALTITUDE INCREASED FROM 2,100 FEET TO 2,500 FEET. THERE WAS ONE FINAL ALTITUDE RETURN AT 1108:53, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,100 FEET. A WITNESS WHO RESIDES IN THE CARMEL VALLEY, 1.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF ACCIDENT LOCATION, REPORTED THE AIRPLANE "CAME OUT OF NOWHERE FROM BEHIND THE HILL, AND WAS GOING VERY FAST." SHE ALSO STATED THAT IT WAS "DEFINITELY NOT IN CONTROL, IN A VERY FAST DESCENT." SHE HEARD THE AIRPLANE PASS OVERHEAD AND THEN IMMEDIATELY HEARD A LOUD "THUMP," AND THE SOUND CEASED. SHE SAID IT CAME FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE MONTEREY AIRPORT AND THAT SHE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE, NOR COULD SHE SEE THE CRASH SITE FROM HER HOME. ABOUT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME, SHE STATED: "IT WAS SUNNY, I COULD SEE THE TOPS OF THE HILLS. THERE WERE NO CLOUDS." SHE SAID SHE COULD SEE "BLUE SKY" ABOVE THE HILLS. THE PASSENGER WHO THE PILOT DROPPED OFF IN MONTEREY ON THE INBOUND FLIGHT SAID HE WAS TRYING OUT USING AN AIRPLANE IN HIS BUSINESS TO REDUCE DRIVING TIME. HE WAS NOT A PILOT AND THE FLIGHT TO MONTEREY WAS ONLY HIS FOURTH BUSINESS TRIP IN THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PARKED UNUSED AT CARSON CITY FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND HE MADE AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE (DECEASED) OWNER'S WIFE TO MAKE THE AIRPLANE AIRWORTHY AGAIN AND USE IT IN HIS BUSINESS TRAVEL IN EXCHANGE. HE PLANNED TO ULTIMATELY BUY IT. HE USED THE PILOT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT AND ONE OTHER PILOT TO FLY IT FOR HIM. HE SAID THAT THE PILOT WAS A "GOOD, ARTICULATE PILOT." HE SAID THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE THEY LEFT AND THAT HE (THE PILOT) WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THAT THE CLOUDS WOULD HAVE BURNED OFF BY THE TIME OF THEIR ARRIVAL. HE SAID IT WAS A SMOOTH TRIP, BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT MONTEREY THE CLOUDS WERE STILL PRESENT. THE PILOT CALLED FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND THEY "GUIDED US IN." IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE PASSENGER HAD BEEN IN THE CLOUDS IN A SMALL AIRPLANE. THE CLOUDS WERE THICKER THAN THEY EXPECTED; HE THINKS ABOUT 1,000 FEET THICK WITH A 1,000-FOOT CEILING UNDERNEATH THE CLOUDS. HE SAID THAT THE PILOT HANDLED THE AIRPLANE SMOOTHLY IN THE CLOUDS, ALTHOUGH AT ONE POINT THEY CAME OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUDS AND THE CONTROLLER CALLED AND SAID THEY WERE TOO LOW AND THEY CLIMBED BACK UP INTO THE CLOUDS. A RAMP AGENT AT DEL MONTE AVIATION SAID THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TAXIED ONTO THEIR RAMP [AFTER LANDING] ABOUT 1030, AND HE ATTEMPTED TO DIRECT THE PILOT TO A PARKING SPACE. THE PILOT SEEMINGLY IGNORED HIS DIRECTIONS AND, AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, TAXIED OUT NEAR THE EDGE OF THEIR RAMP AS THOUGH LEAVING AND STOPPED THERE. THE PILOT SHUTOFF THE ENGINES THERE AND A MAN AND A WOMAN DEPLANED AND EXITED (WALKED OFF) THE RAMP VIA THE PEDESTRIAN GATE WITHOUT GOING IN THE DEL MONTE OFFICE. THE PILOT NEVER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND NO SERVICES WERE PROVIDED. THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINES AND TAXIED FROM THEIR RAMP ABOUT 1045. ## 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 LAX01FA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA152), Apr 22, 2001: Cessna 310F (N5834X), Carmel Valley, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The in-flight loss of control of the airplane in instrument meteorological conditions for undetermined reasons. 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.