- Date
- October 27, 1992, 15:05 local (Oct 28, 1992, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Saipan, Mauritius
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5074JCessna 310R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921027043729A
- Case key
- 27850
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
The pilot not following wake turbulence (votex) avoidance procedures, which are detailed in FAA publications, resulting in the airplane encountering wake turbulence. Factors in this accident were: 1) the pilot's inability to control the airplane after encountering wake turbulence, and 2) inadequate altitude to effect a recovery from the uncontrolled descent.
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
An FAA operations inspector examined the airplane and interviewed witnesses at the scene of the accident. The witnesses reported that a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 airplane departed from the end of runway 7 about one minute before the accident airplane began its takeoff. They said that the accident airplane began its takeoff from an intersection on runway 7, about 2,700 feet from the departure end of the runway, at about the same time the DC-10 was lifting off the ground. They further reported that the accident airplane climbed to about 200 to 250 feet above the ground; banked about 45 degrees to the right; corrected to about a 30 degree right bank; and then 'snapped' 120 degrees to the right. At this point, the witnesses said the airplane began an uncontrolled descent and collided with the runway in an inverted attitude. The witnesses stated they believed the accident airplane encountered wake turbulence from the departing DC-10.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5074J
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R-0194
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-M, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Pacific Island Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pacific Island Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 20, 1992
- Departed
- GSN
- Destination
- GRO · Rota
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- GSN · Saipan International, runway 7, 8,700 × 200 ft, asphalt
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,582 total · 78 in this make and model · 6,582 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GSN, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.