- Date
- June 29, 1989, 00:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Crestone, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7509QCessna 310Q
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890629019419A
- Case key
- 17595
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot and his failure to attain sufficient altitude to safely clear the mountains. Contributing factors were: mountainous terrain, box canyon, and high density altitude.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt & pax were en route from California to Pennsylvania with refueling stops at pagosa spgs, CO & omaha, NE. At aprx 1030 MDT, the plt telephoned his daughter in omaha & said they would be arriving in early afternoon. The acft was rprtd overdue by relatives when it failed to arrive in omaha. The wreckage was located in a box canyon at an elevation of about 12,000 ft. the canyon terminated at mt eureka which had an elevation of 13,931 ft. the density altitude of the crash site was calculated to be 15,921 ft. a post crash exam of the acft & engs revealed evidence of normal operation. Weather in the area was rprtd to be clear with 50 mi visibility.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7509Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 310Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310Q0009
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-V, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stentorian, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 1989
- Departed
- 2V1 · Pagosa Springs, CO
- Destination
- OMA · Omaha, NE
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,042 total · 322 in this make and model · 32 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.